


Taming of the Shrew

by Zena (HowNovel)



Series: The Return of Starman [3]
Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-03-28
Updated: 2007-03-28
Packaged: 2017-11-02 15:56:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 43,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/370755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Zena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christina is pregnant and hates the idea that Jenny is moving into the house. Paul meets people from his past, Jenny’s brother and Liz Baynes after they find out that he is alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taming of the Shrew

**Taming Of The Shrew  
A Continuing Starman Story  
By Zena **  
A sequel to The Return Of Starman and New Horizon  
By Sabine M

###    
**APRIL**  


This was the first morning in several months where the Wiley’s were together again as a family. Yesterday Ben finally quit his job working on Richard Hayward’s ranch and came back to live with his wife and their son, John. It was a joyous occasion and Christina was still radiating with happiness at having her husband return. Last night she had even invited Mrs. Hayden, who had just returned from San Francisco for treatment of her illness, to join them for dinner along with her alien lover, Paul Forrester. 

Christina went to check her e-mail after breakfast while Paul took care of the dishes and Ben walked their son, John, to the school bus stop. She typed in her password, hit the enter key and waited for the machine to tell her how many messages awaited her. It said there were 23. She deleted the ones that were of no interest before picking through the list of ones that were of importance. Her eyes fell on one message dated yesterday from General Ryder. She clicked the cursor on it and opened it. The letter was written to Paul and carbon copied to her and George Fox. It was the general’s answer to Forrester’s requests to have Jenny Hayden move in and marry her. Her heart pounded as she started to read Ethan’s reply. She began to feel dread when she saw he agreed with Forrester’s arguments and found them to be sound. A smile crossed her face when she read that Ryder had denied the request for marriage. It wasn’t indefinitely. It was just for a year, but she was still happy about it. The smile quickly turned to a frown when she read in the next sentence that he granted permission for Mrs. Hayden to move in. “No,” she softly cried. 

Paul finished loading the dishwasher and cleaning the table. He went to the den to ask Christina what she wanted him to do next and saw her sad expression. She looked up at him with anger on her face and fire in her eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked with concern.

Christina debated whether to ask him if he’d read the letter yet or not, but knew that was of little consequence. “General Ryder answered your request,” she said icily. 

“Oh, yes, I know,” he replied, knowing now what had upset the woman. Despite all his arguments pointing out the positive benefits if Jenny were allowed to live with him, she was adamantly against it. Ultimately he went over her head and asked General Ryder for his decision. As project leader, he was the one in charge, not her. 

“You know,” she repeated coldly.

“Yes. We read it last night. We decided not to tell you though. We didn’t want to spoil your evening,” he calmly explained and noticed she still wore a sour expression. His words did not appease her. “Why can’t you be happy for me? Why is it wrong for me to live as a couple with the woman I love, but it’s not wrong for you and Ben, or Mr. Fox and Sylvia, or anyone else on this planet? Help me understand why I’m excluded,” he asked and knew she could not give him one convincing reason, other than she just didn’t want it to happen, which in his opinion was selfish of her. 

“I don’t want to talk about it. Go work in your garden,” she ordered him and went about sending Ryder a reply in protest.

“I’m sorry you refuse to share in my joy,” he said softly.

“I said go to your garden,” Christina shouted louder.

He left sad at hearing the intense displeasure in her voice.

Ben came home twenty minutes later and found his wife still on the computer. “Any news for me?” he cheerfully asked her, unaware of her discovery. He did not expect her to snap at him and say, “Yes!” like it was a dirty word. He was completely stunned by her anger and wondered what happened to prompt it.

“General Ryder granted Mrs. Hayden permission to move in with Paul.” 

It took a moment for what his wife said to sink in. “That’s great!” he replied. “Paul must be very happy.”

She shot a vitriolic glance at her husband. “He is.”

“I’m confused. Why are you so upset about it?”

“That woman has tried usurp my authority over Paul and rub it in my face from day one. I won’t stand for it.”

Now Ben understood the problem. It was a power struggle. Ben learned early on in his marriage that Christina was a control freak and a master of manipulation. Over the years he’d learned when to let her get away with it and when to stand up to her. Ben thought this was one of those times to stand up. “I didn’t see it that way last night at dinner, or when you brought Paul to see her at the ranch,” he said guardedly. “She asked you for permission to be alone with him.”

Last night Christina was so happy to have her husband back, but now she wasn’t so sure. It seemed like he was going to challenge her power over Paul. “Does that mean you’re going to take sides against me overseeing him?” she challenged.

“If I catch you abusing your control over him, yes,” he answered with courage. “Just remember Christina, he endured almost twenty years of pain and loneliness for her and Scott. They are all he lived for. His love for her is so strong, he chose to die when he thought he lost her. Don’t ever forget that. I’m going to find Paul and congratulate him. Where is he?” 

“I sent him outside,” she glumly replied after a few seconds. 

Forrester was working with his flowers when Ben came out and walked up to him. “Hey, I just heard the news. You must be thrilled,” Ben said and offered his hand to shake.

Paul stood up, faced the gentle ex-agent and took the proffered hand. “Yes, I am,” he answered softly. “I just wish Christina would be as happy for me as you are. I don’t understand why she’s so angry. I’ve tried to explain to her all the benefits of having Jenny living here, but she doesn’t want to listen to me,” he said and looked in Ben’s eyes. “I want to be honest with you. I’m surprised and a little disturbed at the resentment she directed at me when she found out General Ryder said Jenny could move in. I’m afraid of your wife and I’m afraid for Jenny. I do not want her to hurt Jenny. You know Christina best. Would she hurt Jenny?”

Wiley saw the genuine fear in the Starman’s eyes and heard it in his voice. He smiled and placed his hand on Paul’s shoulder, gesturing for him to come and sit in a chair by the pool. “Christina would never physically hurt her,” he reassured Forrester, “mentally though, that might be another story. Listen, it’s time I teach you about living with someone who loves having control and power and hates losing it, or putting up with a rival. If you haven’t noticed by now, my wife is a controller. I also realize that you, as a prisoner of the military, have to obey her. That doesn’t mean that she has the right to abuse you or Jenny. If either of you feel my wife has overstepped her authority on you, I want you to know you have a friend you can talk to in me. I will do my best to help you solve the problem.”

“Thank you. I just don’t want Jenny to get sick again.”

They continued talking with Wiley telling Paul, Christina would not make it easy for Jenny to live under the same roof. 

“But that’s what I don’t understand. Jenny is not a threat to Christina. I will still follow her orders even if it means being away from Jenny, and Jenny has agreed to follow her orders too.”

“I know Paul, but Christina won’t see that. What she sees is a rival fighting to win the same prize: you. Trust me, she’ll do her best to show Mrs. Hayden who’s in control around here.”

Paul felt sad and wondered now if he’d made a mistake asking the general for permission for Jenny to move in. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. “Where I come from, the strong do not victimize the weak,” he told Ben.

Wiley grinned. “Where I come from, that’s all they do. It’s sad, but true. I imagine Jenny will find it hard at first to adapt to the rules Christina will give her, but I’m sure it’ll get easier as time goes on. When my wife eventually understands Jenny has accepted her as the boss, she’ll mellow out.”

 _“Listen to this big guy”,_ the ghost Forrester said to Paul as he appeared behind Ben. _“The big man upstairs says you’ve got a rough road ahead of you, but if you and your gal stick together, you will come out winners in the end.”_

“I hope so,” Paul said, answering both of them. Just then the cell phone in Paul’s jeans buzzed. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and answered it. It was Jenny. She asked him if Christina had read the e-mail from General Ryder yet. “Yes, she knows.” He also told her Mrs. Wiley was upset about it. “I won’t lie to you, Jen. She’s not happy at all. Are you sure you’re ready to do this?” he asked her, giving her the option to bow out.

“Are you saying you don’t want me to move in with you?” she asked, confused now.

“No. I do want you to live with me, and I still hope to marry you, but I want you to be prepared that there will be difficulties ahead. If you’re not ready to face them, now is your chance to say so.”

“As long as I have you to support me and be there for me, I’ll be okay,” she replied.

Paul smiled. “When are you moving in so I can tell Christina?”

She told him it would be sometime tonight after Scott finished his work for the day at the ranch. “Scott is going to get my clothes and stuff from Richard’s house and the cabin for me. I just can’t face Richard again right now. It would be too painful for him to see me and remind him I’m not his woman anymore.”

Paul was truly sorry about that. He never wanted to hurt the man, but neither had he given the rancher permission to steal Jenny from him. He was painfully aware that that’s exactly what Mr. Hayward attempted to do last night when Jenny made her announcement she was leaving him. “Yes, I don’t think it’s a good idea to see him again so soon.”

_“Lucky for you, guy, you’re the only one she wants.”_

Paul looked up at the other Paul. He wanted to tell his ghost self to shut up and go away, but couldn’t with Ben looking at him, listening to his side of the phone conversation. He asked if she would be coming for dinner, but she answered no, and said she and Scott would probably grab something to eat before they came to the house. 

Mrs. Wiley finished her session on the computer and went to the sliding glass door in the back of the house. She saw her husband sitting with Paul by the pool and Paul was talking on his cell phone. She opened the door and went out to them. “Who were you speaking to?” she asked Forrester as he ended the call.

“Jenny phoned. She wondered if you’d seen General Ryder’s e-mail yet. I told her you did.”

From many years of marriage and practiced observation, Ben watched his wife put on her false smile and ask the Starman in a neutral tone, hiding the frostiness beneath, “So when is she due to arrive?”

He told her it would be sometime in early evening.

“Fine. I have some rules to give her. I expect her to follow them to the letter or else,” she threatened.

“Or else what?” Ben asked, eyeing her with distaste. “Will you throw her out?”

She gave him a “stay out of this, I’m in charge here” look and handed Paul a piece of paper.

“Let me see that,” Ben asked and Paul gave it to him after looking at it first. His eyes landed on the first item on the list and grew wide. “Rent? You’re going to charge Mrs. Hayden to live here with Paul?”

“Yes. If she wants to live with him, she’s going to pay for the privilege. One extra person is one extra mouth to feed. Two, if she brings that stupid noisy dog with her. Then there’s the extra water usage for showering, the laundry…”

“That’s enough!” Ben said cutting her off. “How much?”

“Eight hundred a month,” she told him.

“Now you’re being greedy and just plain cruel,” he told his wife. “Jenny Hayden is flat broke and you know it! It doesn’t cost two hundred a week to live here. The house is all paid for. There is no mortgage. Four hundred is more than enough if you intend to charge her.”

“That’s not my problem. Seven hundred.”

He shook his head. “Four hundred, and I’ll cover her rent with my pension until she gets back on her feet!” he countered. “Or would you like me to call General Ryder right now and have me tell him about this?”

“Okay, four hundred,” she reluctantly agreed.

Ben purposely held back a smile. Her caving in confirmed to him that his suspicions were correct. The general didn’t know about her scheming. 

_“I hope you’re paying attention buddy. Watch and listen how the game is played,”_ the other Forrester said and moved to stand beside Paul. _“This woman is a real witch! Be glad this big guy is on your side. You need all the help you can get against her.”_

Paul had another idea. He would write the general and request using his monthly allowance towards Jenny’s rent. It would leave him only one hundred dollars to play with, but his needs were simple and few. He still couldn’t believe how nasty Christina had become just because Jenny was moving in. She was so sweet yesterday at dinner. The change was unfathomable to him. 

Ben looked at the next item on the page. It said Sparky was no longer allowed to go into the house. He would live outside in a doghouse. “You don’t like her dog?”

“I do, but he barks too much and wakes everyone up. He sheds and I do not want his hair all over my furniture! He smells and his toenails have already left scratch marks on the hardwood floors. The climate here is warm enough that he can stay out in the yard. If she doesn’t like it, that’s too bad. Get rid of the mutt. If he disturbs the neighbors with his yapping, I’ll order her to get rid of him then as well. Either Paul, or her, will also be responsible for picking up his droppings. I will not have dog feces lying around the yard where someone might step in it.” She continued with her list of rules and caught her husband giving her an annoyed look. “The rest of these rules apply to you too, Mr. Wiley, seeing as you haven’t lived a day in this house either. Paul and John follow a set schedule and it works. You and Mrs. Hayden will eat your meals when we do. As for the laundry,” she said and looked at Paul, “my husband and I will do our clothes on the day you and I have been doing it. You and Mrs. Hayden will do yours the next day.”

Ben looked at Forrester calmly sitting there and told him, “You know what I enjoyed the best about working at the ranch these last few months? There were no strict rules to follow,” he finished and stared at Christina. 

“Well, there are here and you will follow them just like Paul does.”

“Yes, herr commandant!” he retorted, but she was not amused.

“I suggest you get in your car and drive to the home building supply store and pick out a doghouse for the mutt. Give me the receipt when you get back. The expense will come out of Paul’s allowance. And you,” she addressed the Starman, “you can vacuum the swimming pool and clean the filters after you finish with your flowers.” 

“I was going to ask Paul if he’d like to come to the store with me,” Ben said.

“No. You’re not authorized to watch him. Only Mr. Fox and I are.”

“For crying out loud, Christina!” he answered with irritation in his voice. “He’s not going to run away dear, today of all days when his girlfriend is moving in. I’ll keep an eye on him and bring him back safe and sound, I promise. You trust me don’t you?”

It wasn’t a question if she trusted her husband. It was a question if she trusted Paul. Could she trust him? She wanted to, but somehow she just couldn’t bring herself to. Still, she had to try. She looked into his eyes. They seemed to tell her not to worry. He would not try to escape. “All right,” she finally said with a hint of reservation. “Take him with you, but don’t let him out of your sight.”

She went back inside the house leaving the two men sitting there.

“Geez, I never realized how bossy she could be and how much it irritated me. Maybe it’s her pregnancy that’s making her so crabby,” Ben admitted as he stood up. He knew from prior experience with John’s pregnancy, she was affected with wild mood swings.

 _“Amen brother!”_ the other Forrester said. _“She’s worse than my mother used to be!”_

“C’mon, let’s go,” he said and headed for the house.

Paul pushed the chairs back under the table, and when Ben was out of earshot, softly answered his ghostly twin, “I thought your mother was very nice.”

Forrester was happy Ben offered to take him along. It was nice to get away from the house and Christina’s ever-watchful eyes. Wiley smiled at the Starman’s fascination with all the things inside the huge store. After flagging down an employee and asking him where the plastic doghouses were, they went to the plant and outdoor decorations section. Ben suspected they might be in trouble when Paul drooled over all the flats of flowers and vegetables. The extraterrestrial had an insatiable love for plants, partly due to forced practice gardening during his eighteen years of imprisonment. Ben had to admit however, Forrester had a genuine way with greenery. The pansies Paul raised would win first prize at the town’s horticultural club had he entered. Forrester would have come out with one of every variety of plant the store had if their money supply were unlimited. As it was, he asked Ben if Christina would mind if he started a small garden on the property with a few vegetables. 

Wiley agreed with the idea, but limited the Starman to one pack each of tomatoes and peppers. They also bought one bag of onion bulbs and a packet of carrot, lettuce, celery, cucumber and green bean seeds. “Just be prepared for a tongue-lashing from my wife when she sees these. She’s the kind of person who expects you to just buy what’s on the list and nothing else. She’ll deduct the expense for these plants from your allowance too.”

Paul cast his eyes down and said sadly, “I’ll put them back.”

“No. Start your vegetable garden. I’ll pay for it.” When he saw Paul start to object, he told him, “She’ll appreciate it later when you start harvesting the stuff. I’ll even buy the peat moss, plant food and chicken wire to keep the dog and other pests out. Hey, it’s the very least I can do for you for keeping the secret about my stealing and giving you the spheres.”

Forrester smiled. “Thank you.”

They came back carrying a plastic igloo shaped doghouse for Jenny’s pet Jack Russell terrier. “Where are you going to put it?” Paul wanted to know.

Wiley grinned and wisely answered, “I’m going to let my wife decide that. Remember what I told you earlier about control? I guarantee you, no matter where you think it’s a good place to put this, she won’t agree. So, rather than argue about it, let her decide where she wants to put it.” He set the thing down on the edge of the decking and went inside to get his wife. He hoped that by now she’d gotten over the hostility she displayed earlier this morning.

Ben and Christina came out minutes later and he wanly smiled at Forrester, who stood by watching with interest.

“Put it over there,” she said, indicating an open spot on the opposite side of the yard from where John’s guinea pigs were caged. She worried about the dog frightening her son’s pets. “That mutt better not do anything to those guinea pigs or John and I will never forgive you,” she warned Paul.

“I‘ll make sure he doesn’t,” he replied.

“Good. Now you and Ben can mow the lawn and do the edge trimming. You two can decide who does what. I’ll start getting lunch ready.”

“After we dig up some soil and plant the vegetables,” Ben said.

“What vegetables?” she asked with a frown.

“The ones I bought,” he confessed. “Now, don’t be angry. Paul thought we could save some money if we grew our own food. I agreed. You know he’s very good at growing things. John’s pets can even have some of the greens when it’s ready to harvest.”

She cast a hardened look at her husband and asked him exactly what he had purchased. Ben told her. After thinking about it for several seconds, instead of chewing him out, she told him and Paul where to dig the garden. 

Forrester smiled and said, “Thank you.”

After Christina closed the door, Ben said, “Don’t be fooled, Paul. She’s still going to give me hell for letting you have this, and you for not asking her first for permission to have it.”

“Then let’s take it back,” Forrester insisted, afraid. 

The agent sadly noticed Paul’s fear, but stood firm. “No. This isn’t that place in Nevada, and she’s not a warden. She knows we’re right about the benefits of having the garden, but she doesn’t want to admit it in front of us.” He still saw the fear on the alien’s face. “Don’t worry, okay? She’ll be singing another tune when you start picking these when they’re ready to eat. She’ll be thanking you instead of berating you. Trust me.”

Christina took a moment from preparing lunch and went to watch her husband and Forrester till the soil from the sliding glass door. She smiled. _Those two work well together._ She was still a bit miffed that her husband took it upon himself to let Paul get the stuff without first asking her, but she had to agree the suggestion was a good one. With the rising prices of food, and five people to feed in the house, the return would far surpass the investment. She returned to the kitchen and finished putting together a cold meal for Paul and Ben. She placed everything on a large tray and carried it out to the deck, where she called them to take a break. She sat down and joined them for lunch. It felt good to eat with her husband again. She missed talking to him on a daily basis.

Ben looked at Paul and told him, “I really missed this you know. She can make a plain old sandwich seem like a gourmet meal. You’re lucky to have enjoyed her cooking every day.” 

“If you’d come back sooner, you wouldn’t have missed it,” Christina commented.

Ben decided to remain quiet and let the remark slide, than start an argument.

“I’ve been teaching Paul to cook while you were gone,” she said and glanced at Forrester. “He’s still learning the fine art of food preparation, but he’s getting better at it all the time. Paul, maybe you’d like to show Ben what you’ve learned for dinner tonight?” she said and looked at her husband again. “Ben always loved my tuna noodle casserole. You can make that.”

Wiley was surprised. “You taught him how to make my favorite dish?”

“Yes. You didn’t think I was going to do all the cooking did you?” She didn’t wait for him to answer and continued. “His first attempts didn’t turn out so well, but he’s a quick learner. He hasn’t burnt anything in quite a while. He’s better right now at cooking some things than I am,” she praised Paul.

Ben raised an eyebrow at the Starman. “Oh really? In that case, I can’t wait to critique your cooking. We’ll see how good a teacher she is and how good a student you are. I’m sure Jenny will appreciate you’re being able to cook.”

It was the first time anyone had mentioned Mrs. Hayden since the earlier conversation this morning. Ben looked at his wife hoping to gauge her mood. Was she still hostile, or had she resigned herself to face the facts?

Paul was suddenly uncomfortable and didn’t know if he should say anything to Ben, fearful any further mention of Jenny would upset Christina. He decided to proceed cautiously. “Yes, she does appreciate it. Some of the dishes I already knew how to prepare were ones she taught me to make.”

“Oh? Which ones?” Christina asked, curious. Paul had never told her where or from whom he learned to make some of the meals he did. She assumed he learned them from Scott.

“The chicken tacos and parmesan, and French toast,” he answered, relieved she wasn’t angry. “And toll house cookies. She loves those. I do too.”

“So do John and I. Don’t forget your Dutch apple pie. I’m surprised she didn’t teach you to make that.”

“Perhaps she would have if we hadn’t been captured.” 

Everyone was quiet. The statement was an ugly reminder of things past.

“Yes, well maybe my wife will teach you to make it, seeing how you love it so much,” Ben offered.

“It’s not that I love it that much,” Paul replied. “It’s just that it was the first Earth food I ever tasted. It was good. It reminded me of my first visit to Earth, everything that happened, and meeting the woman I came to love. Your wife has taught me to make it.”

The conversation came to a stop. Ben decided now was as good a time as any to return to work and told Christina and Paul so. He’d rather not spend any more time reminiscing on the painful past of the alien extraterrestrial. Paul didn’t want to do so either and joined him.

Paul and Ben finished planting the seedlings and packets of seeds and moved onto cutting the grass. Paul took the job of mowing and Wiley handled the edge trimming with the electric trimmer. The two men made a good team, with Ben standing ready with the wheelbarrow when Paul needed to empty the grass catcher. They finished the work and went in to take a shower. Christina called Paul downstairs to come with her to wait for John at the bus stop, but Ben said he’d do that.

“Okay, then you can start with the dinner preparations,” she said and watched Paul gather the ingredients for the casserole. He smiled inwardly as he boiled the noodles. Jenny would be here in a few more hours. He debated whether he should ask Christina if he could save some for her, then decided against it. It was going to be difficult enough when she showed up. Christina was fiercely protective of him, and he was guessing, very jealous of Jenny, though he still couldn’t fathom why. 

Christina released Paul after dinner to go wait anywhere he wanted for Jenny Hayden’s arrival. He chose his bedroom. Ben said he’d take over dish duty for tonight. Approximately two and a half hours later Paul heard the doorbell ring, got off his bed and went downstairs. Ben had already opened the door and invited Jenny inside. She stood there at the entrance with a mixture of nervousness and delight on her face. Scott was standing just behind her. She saw Paul and said, “I left Sparky in the car. I didn’t know if I could take him with me. If not, Scott will give him to Richard.”

“Ben and I bought a doghouse for him this morning and put it in the back yard,” he told her.

“My wife doesn’t want him in the house anymore, but he’s got lot’s of room in the yard to run and play,” Ben assured her. 

Scott wanted to hurry this up and get out of the house. As much as he loved his parents, he still disliked Christina. “I’ll go get your stuff Mom,” he said and went to the car, opening the back passenger door to let the dog out. After Sparky jumped out and ran to his owner, Scott reached for the two suitcases on the floor. Even after twenty years of not being on the run, she never accumulated much in the way of clothes and personal belongings because of her former lifestyle.

Paul came out with Jenny to give their son a hand. She took her two extra pairs of shoes in both her hands and he grabbed a box from the trunk with Sparky’s chew toys, feeding dishes, dog food and leash. 

“Is this all of it?” Ben asked as the three of them came back inside. 

“Yes, this is it,” Jenny said.

“Where are all your art supplies and your computer?” Paul asked her, puzzled.

“Gone. I had to sell it along with everything else I owned when I had to give back the money to the publishing company,” she confessed.

Christina came out of John’s bedroom after seeing her son to bed and joined her husband at the doorway. “Mrs. Hayden,” she coolly greeted Jenny. “After you move in your belongings, I’d like to speak with you in the kitchen about the rules of this house.”

Jenny put her shoes down on the floor next to her other belongings. “Sure.”

“I’ll see you guys later,” Scott said and left to go back to his car. No way was he staying to listen to Mrs. Wiley lay down the law.

“Go to the kitchen,” Ben said. “I’ll let Sparky out and join you in a minute.”

Jenny followed Paul into the room and took a seat at the table. They sat next to each other and Jenny instinctively reached to hold onto Paul’s arm for emotional support.

“Now then,” Christina started and looked at Mrs. Hayden, “There are several rules I expect you to follow. Has Paul told you about them?”

“He mentioned them, yes, but he didn’t tell me the specifics yet,” she said.

Ben came in and took a seat opposite Paul. Christina produced a sheet of paper, the same one she showed Paul earlier that day, and presented it to Jenny. Her eyes fell on the first item on the short list: the rent. 

Wiley saw Mrs. Hayden’s facial expression and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll cover your rent.”

“No,” Paul piped up. “I e-mailed General Ryder this afternoon to ask him if I can use my monthly allowance toward her rent.”

Christina gave Forrester a dirty look. She resented him constantly going over her head e-mailing the general when he wasn’t happy with something and expecting Ryder to give in to his requests. She promised she’d e-mail the man later tonight and spell out both situations. She’d tell the general, Forrester had to stop involving him to get what he wanted. This was one such example. Jenny’s finances was not the government’s responsibility and neither should her living expenses be. 

“No guys,” Jenny said and glanced at both men. “Your offer is appreciated, but I won’t accept it.” She looked at Christina. “I’ll give you the money just as soon as I get the check from the publisher’s. Is that okay?”

“When will that be?” she asked, not completely satisfied.

Jenny told the woman the time estimate she expected to receive the money. “If you want the cash sooner, I suppose I could ask my brother to lend it to me.”

She agreed to accept the rent whenever the check came.

“Speaking of your brother,” Wiley said, “he doesn’t know that Paul is alive, does he?”

Jenny shook her head no. “Wayne and I had a falling out when I told him why I was divorcing Richard.”

“Oh boy,” he said with a sigh. “Knowing him as I do, I’d better go in the closet and see if my old high school football helmet still fits me. I know he’s going to be as angry as Scott was when he first saw me after learning the truth,” he finished and absently rubbed his chin and jaw, reminding everyone there of the punch he received from Paul and Jenny’s son. Scott was furious and vented that rage on his face. Wayne Geffner was hot headed, even more so than Scott. Wiley certainly empathized with both Hayden’s, Wayne and Paul. They were justified to be angry. The government had wronged them all and hurt each of them immensely, none more so than Paul, who actually chose death to living in this government made hell. It was a miracle, some would say one of divine intervention, that Forrester was alive and sitting here at all. Ben looked at Paul and Jenny with sad eyes. 

“If your brother lays one finger on my husband, I’ll charge him with assault and battery, and have him arrested, jailed and fined,” Christina warned Jenny.

“No, you won’t,” he softly replied and cast his wife a determined look. “That’s not the way to end the hatred he…they, have for us,” he finished and looked at Forrester and Mrs. Hayden again with repentance written on his face.

Paul was smiling wanly at him. Forrester’s eyes told him the Starman had forgiven him completely. Jenny forgave him too, but not Christina. The distinction was important. His wife’s lie twenty years ago was an obstacle he knew Mrs. Hayden would never pardon. He was brought out of his train of thought when Christina said, “I will not let him hurt you.”

“We’ll deal with it dear when the time comes. Let’s get back to the rent issue, okay? I have a better idea. I’ll write General Ryder and ask him if the government would be willing to foot the bill for Mrs. Hayden as they do for Paul,” he announced. He was clearly unhappy with his wife’s sudden obsession with money. He also had to tell General Ryder he was available to supervise Forrester now that he was back living with his wife, therefore George wasn’t needed and could enjoy his retirement.

“You’ll do no such thing,” Christina told her husband. Was she going to have to discipline him too? 

“Oh yes I will.”

“No,” Jenny replied. She was touched by the man’s kindness, but told him she planned to get a job. She saw the surprised look on Paul’s face and surmised he expected she would remain with him all day, every day. “The contract I signed won’t pay me that much money. The publishing company is small and the number of copies being printed is under 25,000,” she explained to him, aware that he had no experience with writing books, or signing contracts for getting them published. “It’s not like those multi million dollar contracts for best sellers on the New York Times best seller’s list. The money I’ll get will be enough to pay a month’s rent and maybe get a decent car like the one I had to sell.”

“A Subaru Forester?” Paul hinted.

“Of course,” she giggled, “In blue this time because I know that’s your favorite color.”

Ben grinned while Christina gave Jenny a chagrined look. The constant open display of Jenny and Paul’s love for each other was getting nauseating. “The rest of the rules are fairly simple,” she said, bringing their attention back to the topic of discussion. “We’ll all eat together and take one shower per day, unless something comes up that necessitates taking another one. You and Paul will do your laundry the day after Ben, John and I do ours. All clear so far?”

“Yes.”

“You know I want the dog to stay outside. I expect you or Paul to clean up his messes daily. I do not want any droppings lying around where someone can step in it. If he starts barking excessively and the neighbors complain about it, I’ll expect you to take care of the problem or get rid of him. Clear?”

“Yes.”

On a touchier subject, she said softly so her son would not overhear them from the kitchen, “If and when you two decide to have pleasure in bed, please do it quietly so we don’t hear you. My son knows your bedroom is off limits, but I don’t want him to know when you’re doing it and go upstairs to investigate. Any questions?”

“No. We’ll be quiet.”

“Okay, then I guess that’s it. You and Paul can bring your stuff upstairs. When you’re finished, Ben and I will be in the living room watching TV. Tonight it’s my husband’s choice what we’re watching. We rotate and everyone has one night where they choose the shows they want to watch, or pass it on to the next member. You’ll have your turn too, Mrs. Hayden. Join us if you like,” she said.

“Thank you, but I think I’ll just go upstairs and go to bed. It was a long day and I’m feeling a little tired.” 

Paul got up and followed her lead. They heard Sparky barking outside, wanting to be let in. He looked at Christina giving him a warning look. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” he told Jenny. “I’m just going to quiet him down. Leave the heavy stuff and I’ll carry it up for you.”

Jenny said as much as she loved Paul, it was not a good idea for her to be with him all day long, every day. That would be the quickest way they would get on each other’s nerves. “Well maybe it won’t get on yours, but certainly will get on mine. If we want to keep on loving each other as much as we do, then we have to spend some time apart from each other. I’ll get a part-time job. You can live without me for a few hours a day. You understand, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he replied, sounding a little disappointed.

Jenny pulled him closer to kiss him. “I’ll miss you too while I’m away at work,” she told him gently. “It’ll make coming home that much more pleasurable, knowing you’re waiting for me,” she said and kissed him again.

###    
**JUNE**  


It was two months now since Jenny had been allowed to move in with her extraterrestrial lover. “I have this Saturday off,” she said to Paul as she lay in bed cuddled next to him. “I was thinking of asking Christina if you and I could go to the beach for the day by ourselves.”

Paul felt sorry he had to disappoint her. “I’d love to go to the beach with you alone, but you know she will never allow it. Either she or Ben must come with us so they can watch us.”

Jenny turned her head to look at him. “This is nuts! I can’t believe you lived like this for eighteen years. How the hell did you stand living under their microscope?”

He gently reminded her that he had no choice. “I had rules to follow, and I did, or I was punished if I didn’t. I’ve gotten used to being under constant observation. I also told you there were going to be challenges to living with me, and you must be prepared to face them. This is the most difficult challenge of them all. I too, went through a similar phase of anger and resentment as you’re going through right now, only there was nothing I could do about it. I had no way out. You do. If you find these conditions too difficult to bear and you want to leave, you’re free to and can. I will understand.”

“No. I’m staying,” she reaffirmed and reached out and pulled his face closer so she could kiss him. “I lost eighteen years I could have had with you, and fourteen more before that. That’s nearly half of my life. I’m not going to lose one more day without you. I said as long as I have you to support me, I can handle anything, and I will, even this, as much as I hate it.”

He smiled and pulled her closer to hold her against his body. “I don’t want to lose another day without you either. You and Scott are all I live for. That’s why I petitioned Christina and General Ryder so hard to get you.”

“But aren’t they supposed to be learning to trust you?”

He rolled back onto his pillow, let out a heavy sigh and said, “Yes.”

“Well, how do they expect to get that trust if they won’t allow you some freedom without them watching you?”

“I agree with you, Jenny, but that’s just the way things are.”

She disagreed. What she heard was her once strong Starman under Mrs. Wiley’s firm control and still afraid to take a stand. That was the sad truth, but she didn’t tell him so. “Well, I’m going to ask her anyway,” she said and turned out the night light on the stand.

 

The next morning after eating breakfast, cleaning away the dishes and sending John off to school, Jenny asked Mrs. Wiley about her and Paul going to the beach alone. As Paul predicted, Christina said, “Absolutely not. You know the rules, Mrs. Hayden. One of us must accompany Paul and you wherever you go.” 

“I told you she’d say that,” Forrester said with a grin.

The doorbell rang and Ben got up to answer the summons and find out who the unexpected visitor could be this early in the morning. 

“Yes, you did,” Jenny replied. “Now, I’ll tell her what I think of her damn rules,” she said and glared at Ben’s wife. “You can stuff them down your throat and choke on them!”

“I don’t care what you think of the rules, Mrs. Hayden. They are what they are. You will follow them or you can get out. Go live with your foul-mouthed son,” she said in a loud voice with a smug smile. “I’m sure he’ll take you back.”

“Honey,” Ben said, drawing the word out.

Christina turned around and looked at her husband, then noticed General Ryder standing at the entrance to the room. _Oh, shit!_ she thought, cursing the military man’s untimely arrival. He seemed to have the habit of appearing just when things were at their worst. 

“What is going on here?” Ethan asked, disturbed by the tone and content of the conversation.

“It’s nothing, sir,” she replied, doing her best to keep her composure. “I was just explaining the rules again to Mrs. Hayden.”

“That sounded more like a threat than an explanation to my ears,” Ryder said and then looked at Jenny. “Do you want to tell me what prompted this?”

She straightened and calmly said, “Sure. I just asked Mrs. Wiley for permission to take Paul to the beach with me Sunday, for the day, just the two of us. She said no. Either she or Ben or Mr. Fox has to come with us.”

General Ryder gently told her, “Dr. Wiley, Mr. Wiley, or Mr. Fox are supposed to keep an eye on Paul and you.”

“Yes, but does that mean every minute of every day? Aren’t you supposed to be learning to trust us too?” she replied with irritation. “How are we supposed prove we’re trustworthy when she won’t let us out of her sight for more than five minutes? It’s not like I’m planning to run away with Paul. If I wanted to do that, I wouldn’t be asking for permission to take him out or telling her where we’re going. I just want to spend some more time alone with him other than in our bedroom or the back yard.” Indeed, since moving in, they’d had even less time alone to themselves then when they lived apart. In other words, it was practically never. She continued. “A few weeks ago, I asked to take Paul to the mall in town to go shopping with me for a couple hours. She said no. Ben was busy with watching John and she needed Paul to help her with something, I don’t remember what. It didn’t matter. She said he couldn’t come, so I went alone. Then a week ago I asked if we could to go to the ice cream parlor for a cone. We wouldn’t be gone more than half an hour. Again, she said no. She wanted him to clean the bathrooms. It’s always the same answer. No. No. No. She always has some damn excuse why he can’t come with me. And don’t think I don’t know she does it on purpose!” she accused. 

“I’m not doing it on purpose,” Christina responded in self defense. “Paul has plenty of work to do around here both inside the house and out in the yard.”

“You don’t need him to do everything. You have Ben back to help you, but you still come up with any excuse on the spur of the moment to prevent me from being with Paul. What’s the excuse this time? Does he have to help you hang the curtains? Or wash the windows? Vacuum the carpets? Clean the kitchen cabinets? Mow the lawn? Paint the fence?” She rattled each job off with growing irritation and looked into the general’s eyes. “I hoped maybe she’d show a little trust in us, but now I see that’ll never happen. I’ve tried to offer helping with the chores so I could do them together with Paul, but she keeps refusing to let me help.” With tears threatening to come, she said to her Starman, “You were right about something else. I’m not ready to live here with you. I thought I could handle it, but I can’t. I’m packing my things. I can’t live in this house with all these stupid rules and her doing her best to keep us apart. It’s a prison. I’ve got to get out of here before this place makes me sick again and kills me.” She turned to leave.

Ethan listened to Jenny’s complaints and closely examined the body language of the two women. It wasn’t hard to tell they were polar opposites. It was also easy to see that there had been a power struggle going on since he allowed Mrs. Hayden to live with Forrester. He anticipated that. What he didn’t anticipate, however, was that Christina would use her authority to beat Mrs. Hayden down and rule over her with an iron hand. He looked at Forrester and saw the open sadness on his face. Paul was obviously hurt by her sudden decision to leave. Ethan knew what Jenny meant to Paul. She was his crutch. He needed her as much as she needed him. She brought him happiness that nothing else could and vice versa. If she left, then he would have to listen to the old arguments Forrester outlined in his original petition asking his permission to let Mrs. Hayden move in. He did not want to go through that again. “Wait, Mrs. Hayden,” he said. “Please. Sit down and let’s talk about this.”

With those words, Ben looked at his wife. He knew the joy she felt at succeeding in ousting Mrs. Hayden was now replaced with anger. She hid it expertly. She said nothing aloud, but he knew she was furious. Ethan had just sided with Jenny and would probably relax some of his wife’s supervision over Jenny and Paul. With Christina, it was all about keeping control, and General Ryder was going to take some of it away. _When he leaves, she’ll be worse than an angry grizzly bear._

Ethan looked at Forrester, who sat there quietly listening to Jenny’s grievances. “Do you have that cell phone Mr. Fox gave you?”

“Yes.”

“And it can take pictures?”

“Yes,” Paul replied with a wan smile. “It has GPS tracking too.”

Ryder’s answer was simple. “Then take a picture of Mrs. Hayden and have her take one of you when you get to the beach. Send it to Dr. Wiley and me.”

Christina couldn’t believe her ears. “You’re letting them go alone for a whole day?”

“Yes, I am,” the general responded and looked at Jenny. The expression of sadness and defeat on her face was quickly changing to one of happiness. 

“And what about the rules, sir? They aren’t allowed to go somewhere without one of us as an escort.”

He told her plainly, “Perhaps it’s time to amend the rules. They aren’t carved in stone. They can be changed and in some instances, waived. Mrs. Hayden is correct. Trust has to begin somewhere.” 

Jenny wore a huge grin and took the man’s hand in both of hers, thanking him. 

“Yes, well I hope you realize what a big risk here I’m taking here and what a tremendous amount of responsibility I’m placing on you. Don’t disappoint me.”

“I do, sir. I won’t let you down. I promise. Oh! I need to go into town and buy a new swimsuit,” she said and looked at Paul to come with her. She stopped in her tracks when he stayed put. 

Ethan caught the glance and understood why Paul remained where he was. “How long will you be gone?” he asked the woman.

“I don’t know. Maybe an hour or two.”

He looked at Forrester. “Do you want to go with her?”

“Yes, if I have permission to.”

Ethan looked again at Jenny. “Go and take him with you.”

She thanked the general again and told Paul, “Just wait here a minute while I run upstairs and get my purse and the car keys.”

“Uh, should I accompany them, sir?” Ben asked out of curiosity.

“No. Let them go by themselves. I trust they’ll return, won’t you Mr. Forrester?” 

Paul looked at the military man who held everything about his life in his hands directly in his eyes. “It would be incredibly foolish of me not to return and lose everything I have gained these last few months,” he calmly explained. “I have a new place to live that I like very much. I have the woman I love to share my bed with me at night. And I can go see my son, or he can come and see me, whenever he or I wish. I am not so stupid to throw all that away.”

Jenny came hurrying down the stairs and headed for the front door, opening it. She turned to look at Paul and the general and waited, sensing they had discussed something of importance between them. “Are you coming?” she finally asked. Ryder nodded and Forrester followed her, closing the door behind him.

Christina definitely was not pleased. Ethan took an empty seat at the kitchen table to talk to her and Ben. “Dr. Wiley, as I told your husband, I stopped by today to see how our resident extraterrestrial was doing since I allowed Mrs. Hayden to move in with him. What I just heard does not make me happy. I specifically gave you orders to teach him what he needs to know to live on his own, and learn to trust him, the key words here being learn and trust, but from what I heard it sounds like you’re not doing the latter. I must therefore assume you either didn’t hear my orders, or, you’ve chosen to ignore them. I am especially displeased at hearing you threatening Mrs. Hayden with eviction. You will never threaten her with that again. Is that clear?”

“Sir, I was just …” she started, but the general cut her off.

“Is that clear, Doctor?” he repeated, stressing the last word.

“Yes, sir,” Christina answered glumly.

He continued his unplanned lecture. “We’ve invested a lot of time and money in Mr. Forrester. His health and happiness are of high importance. You will not jeopardize it. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you certain, because I don’t want to come back here and hear another discussion like the one I just heard. Nor do I want to read any more e-mails from Forrester’s family with complaints.”

Christina hated being backed into a corner and having her competency questioned, and Ryder was doing just that. “If you don’t like the job I’m doing, then fire me,” she challenged.

“I’m very tempted to, Dr. Wiley! Don’t push me. I’m seriously thinking of putting your husband in charge and relieving you of your position and responsibilities. For Pete’s sake, what the hell is the matter with you? If this is some stupid jealousy you have against Mrs. Hayden, deep six it now! In ten months, if Paul Forrester and Mrs. Hayden still request to get married, I’m going to grant it. At that time I am also going to petition the joint chiefs for their release from our custody in another year. If granted, that means they will still be in regular contact with us, and Mr. Forrester will still work in assisting NASA as a consultant, but they will essentially be on their own without supervision. If your progress reports are accurate, Paul has learned enough to survive in the ‘real world’ right now, and what he doesn’t know, we, or Mrs. Hayden, or his son, can teach him.”

Christina listened to what the general said. It was clear to her, he was on Mrs. Hayden’s and Forrester’s side. So was her husband. She was alone in her belief Paul should never be released. It was time to throw in the towel. “Then you don’t need me to be his babysitter any longer,” she retorted with a distinct hint of resentment in her voice. “I resign, effective immediately,” she added, giving the general her notice. “I have my own family to care for. I don’t need to be burdened with Paul’s. If my husband wants to take over my job, then give it to him.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Very well Doctor,” Ethan said and faced Ben. “Are you willing to accept the position as Forrester’s guardian and overseer?”

Ben was all smiles and readily agreed.

“Good. I am hereby putting you in charge, Mr. Wiley. You will take over the duties your wife has been doing. Teach him what he doesn’t know or understand, learn from him and trust him Mr. Wiley, until he gives you reason not to. I want weekly reports on his progress, just as your wife has been giving me. I expect favorable results. Do you think you can handle that?”

“Yes sir.” 

He returned his attention to Ben’s wife. “I’m still retaining you, Doctor, as Forrester’s personal physician,” he added, letting her know she wasn’t completely out of the picture.

Christina said nothing, but nodded wanly. General Ryder asked to speak with Ben in private, effectively dismissing Mrs. Wiley.

“Of course, sir. We can use the den,” he said and rose.

“No, you two stay here,” she said ready to leave the room. “I’m going to the den and check my e-mail.”

The two men watched her leave and when they heard the door close, Ryder asked Ben in a quiet voice, “I want your honest opinion, Mr. Wiley, how do you think Paul is doing?”

He was only too eager to tell him, “Great sir. I’ve never seen him as happy as when he’s with Mrs. Hayden. You did the right thing letting her move in with him. They’re both very relaxed and content to be in each other’s company. He can’t wait for her to come home from her job every day. He accepts that she needs to work like any other couple has to. It’s worked out well. Paul is occupied most of the day when Jerry comes, and when he doesn’t, Paul does whatever chores my wife gives him. When he’s finished with that, then he tinkers in his garden or tries to find ways to make money using his camera so he can help Mrs. Hayden pay back Richard Hayward all the money he spent on her medical treatment. I’m sorry my wife tried to keep Paul and Jenny apart. I didn’t know it had gone this far, or perhaps I just didn’t notice it. I do know Christina didn’t make things easy for Jenny. I promise you sir, that won’t happen under my watch.” He took on a more somber voice. “Paul’s calendar project was a disappointment for him. The order was small, only 100 pieces, and after printing and mailing costs, he netted only two dollars per calendar, or two hundred dollars. The company promised to buy more calendars next year if the customers liked them and request them, but I think he was discouraged.”

“How much did her treatment cost?’ Ethan wanted to know, expressing concern. If Forrester was upset or worried, then it was a source of concern and worry for him as well, and that was unacceptable. 

“I don’t know the exact figure,” Ben said, “but I overheard Mrs. Hayden tell Paul it was around four thousand. I offered to give them the money myself, but they won’t take it. However, now that I’m in charge, I can get rid of that stupid rent my wife was charging Mrs. Hayden. That will help.”

Ryder was pleased with Ben Wiley’s attitude so far. This was more like who he wanted in charge: someone who was searching for solutions to the problems at hand, not creating them as it seems Ben’s wife did. He nodded in agreement.

“I know Paul also wants to replace the computer and art stuff Mrs. Hayden was forced to sell to repay the publishing company when Mr. Fox made her pull her book. Since you wouldn’t allow Paul to use his allowance for Jenny’s rent, he said he couldn’t ask you for permission to buy them because they were for her, and not his, personal use,” he explained, answering the unspoken question. 

“I think I can fix that problem. I’ll have another computer sent here for Mrs. Hayden. You get me a list of the art supplies she wants and I’ll get those too. This is all quite trivial in dollars.”

“She’ll appreciate that general, and so will Paul.”

“Yes. Raising the money for Mrs. Hayden’s treatment though is another matter.” Ethan asked what Paul was doing now to get the rest of the needed money. 

Ben had to tell him regretfully, “As far as I know, nothing. I think he wants to sell all of the camera equipment Mr. Fox returned to him.”

Ryder pondered the problem. “Do you have any ideas to help Forrester?”

“Actually I do, but I don’t know if you or he’ll go for it.”

“Tell me what you have in mind.”

Ben told him it was another calendar project, using Mrs. Hayden as the model. He explained she was very photogenic, and quite sexy if he did say so himself. “Lucky for Paul, he’s all she’s interested in. If she would agree to do poses in a swimsuit, or lingerie, or something like that, he could sell them on the Internet.” In a lower voice so he was certain his wife wouldn’t hear, he said, “I’d sure buy one if I could get away with it.”

Ethan smiled wanly and admitted, “So would I, but I’d have to hide it from my wife or she’d throw me out of the house and change the locks on the doors.”

“So you like the idea?”

The smile faded and Ethan’s face took on a serious expression. “I’m concerned Forrester’s camera work will trigger an awakening of sorts within the photography world. All it takes is one person to see his name and announce Paul Forrester is back.”

“I take it you’re talking about Liz Baines?” Ben guessed.

“I wasn’t thinking of her, but now that you mention it, if someone brings it to her attention, it’s a Pandora’s box we don’t want to open. We’ve kept Forrester non-existent for nearly twenty years. We absolutely do not need a nosey snooping reporter to ask a million questions and plaster Paul’s picture all over the tabloids, reviving his celebrity status. I think you’d better forget the whole calendar idea.”

Ben reluctantly agreed, but told the general that Paul said he still wanted to contact her. He was merely waiting for the right time to ask permission to do so. “He’s as afraid of how she’ll react and what she’ll do as you are, but if anyone can convince her to keep her mouth shut and her pen sealed, he can.”

“I guess I’d better stay a while longer then and talk to Forrester about this when he gets back from his little shopping trip with Mrs. Hayden. Do you think I could have some coffee?” 

Paul and Jenny were on their way home about an hour and a half later. “Christina is going to be angry you know?” he said.

“Yes, I know.”

“Are you still going to move out?” he anxiously wondered.

“I’ve been thinking it over since General Ryder gave you permission to come with me. I don’t want to leave you, but if she stays on my ass, I’ll have to. I can’t afford to get sick again.”

“Maybe things will be better from now on. Why don’t you hold off on moving until after we get home and see what’s happened?” 

Paul parked the car in the driveway. They got out and Jenny grabbed the plastic bag with her new swimsuit. They went inside the house. “We’re back,” he announced and listened for a response. 

“In here,” Ben answered from the living room.

They went to the room where Wiley sat with the general.

“Did you two enjoy yourselves?” Ethan asked them.

Jenny smiled and answered, “Yes, we did. Thank you.” She pulled out the modest one-piece bathing suit from the bag and held it up for Ben and General Ryder to see. “I’m afraid this body is getting too old, and time and gravity have implemented changes that make wearing a string or thong bikini a thing of the past, but Paul said he liked this one.” It was royal blue with little silver stars all over it. 

“I liked all of them,” Forrester replied with a smile. “Time has only enhanced your beauty in my opinion. You know I love you no matter what you look like.”

“Oh stop,” she said and gave him a playful slap on his arm. 

“But I do!”

Ethan grinned and said, “I was going to ask how you were getting along, Mrs. Hayden, but I can see for myself. You seem very happy, and Mr. Wiley tells me you’re doing great. I take it your health continues to improve?”

Jenny said yes and put the suit down on her lap. She held onto Paul’s forearm. “I’m not having any more stomach pains and the ulcers are healing. They’re nearly gone. I can eat most solid food again and I have most of my energy back as well. I credit all this thanks to being with Paul. He’s been my best medicine. You made us both very happy. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. Have you reconsidered moving out?”

“That depends,” Jenny said more seriously. “If Christina keeps trying to drive a wedge between me and Paul, then I’ll have no choice except to move out. I can’t afford to get sick again.” 

He told her the new rules about traveling and Ben being in charge. She and Paul were happy to hear they had gained some more freedom and could go to town or run short errands without being escorted just as long as they asked for permission first and kept in contact upon arrival of their destination and at regular intervals thereafter if it was going to be for an extended period of time. “In that case, I think I’ll stay here.”

Ryder shifted his attention to Paul. “Mr. Wiley has told me your attempts to earn money to reimburse Mr. Hayward was less than you had hoped for.”

“Yes,” he admitted with sadness.

“I’ve been discussing the dilemma with Ben, but there’s another issue we need to talk about.”

Paul raised his eyebrows in curiosity and looked at Ryder.

“I understand you wish to contact Ms. Baines. That might lead to a problem. She’s a reporter, and we absolutely do not want her writing anything about you or what’s happened to you over the last eighteen years. There’ll be no books, no magazine interviews, no stories printed anywhere. The past will stay buried. Is that understood?”

Paul nodded his head. “Does that mean you’re giving me permission to call her?” he asked, unsure.

Ethan said he was still thinking about it and would e-mail him shortly and give him his final decision. Right now he was tempted to say no. “How many other friends of yours do you plan on contacting?”

“Just her,” he said. “She was my biggest supporter. Without her help, I wouldn’t have survived out there as long as I did. I imagine she was just as devastated to learn I was dead as Jenny was, and I know she will react the same way Jenny did when she learns the truth, provided you give me permission to tell it to her. Christina’s lie hurt people that were, and still are, very dear to me. It was wrong to tell them that lie and I’d like to correct it.”

Ryder repeated what he said earlier, that he’d give it consideration and let Paul know his decision. He glanced at his watch. “I really must go now or I’ll miss the next plane to Washington,” he said and stood. “It was nice to see you again, Forrester, Mrs. Hayden. I hope you have a nice time at the beach. Make sure you both wear sunblock. I don’t want to read that you both came back looking like a cooked lobster.” He offered his hand to Jenny to shake farewell. “I think you’ll look great in that swimsuit,” he added and gave her a wink. He turned to Paul. “I wish my wife could look as good and as beautiful as she will. You take care of yourself and I look forward to seeing you both again.” Lastly he addressed Ben. “Are you all clear on your orders Mr. Wiley?”

He nodded and replied, “Yes sir.”

Both Paul and Jenny thanked the general again before he left the house. When the door had closed, Paul asked Ben where Christina was. He’d noticed she was absent the whole time.

“Let’s go back to the living room,” he suggested. He repeated in a soft voice that General Ryder had relieved his wife of her duties as overseer and he’d been put in charge. “Christina’s upset about it and is in our bedroom.”

“Should I talk to her?” Paul suggested.

He said no. “She’s angry and is likely to strike at you like a rattlesnake the second you open your mouth. Just leave her alone and let her cool off.” He looked at Jenny. “I wouldn’t get too close to her if I were you. This change of command is all her own fault because she wouldn’t loosen up on you and Paul. General Ryder just happened to catch her exercising her authority over you above and beyond what’s necessary at the wrong time. When Ryder gave you permission to go to the beach alone with Paul, it was like a slap in her face. The one thing my wife hates is losing control or having her authority questioned, and Ryder did just that. She resigned in protest. I hope you will accept my apology as well.”

“What do you need to apologize for?” she asked, not understanding.

He explained, “I should’ve seen what was happening and stopped her abusing you myself. I failed to see it. For that I’m sorry. Please forgive me for my blindness.”

Jenny smiled. “Of course I’ll forgive you.”

 

BEN AND CHRISTINA IN BED THAT NIGHT

“You did this to yourself, you know,” Ben told his wife. “If you’d just loosened your hold on Paul once in a while and let him go by himself to the store or the ice cream shop with Jenny, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s just unlucky for you General Ryder had to hear you threatening to throw Mrs. Hayden out. That was uncalled for.”

Christina turned her head to look at her husband. “I suppose now that you’re in charge, you’re going to let them go wherever they want by themselves?”

Ben took a moment before answering her. “As long as they ask me for permission and tell me where they want to go, and for how long, yes. So far they’ve given me no reason not to trust them.”

“You’re a fool,” she snorted. “Paul used his powers again to charm you and General Ryder into letting him and Mrs. Hayden go to the beach Sunday, just like he did to me to let him stay at the ranch one more night six months ago. This trip to the beach is a perfect escape plan disguised as an outing. They have everything they need to pull it off: some money, a car, his sphere… The proof this is all an escape attempt will come later tomorrow when Paul calls and says they have car trouble or something like that and will be back later than expected. That little run to the mall so she could buy a bathing suit was just a test to gain your and General Ryder’s confidence. Now that they have it, you wait and see. Tomorrow they’re history.”

Ben was flabbergasted at his wife’s lack of trust in Forrester. “And you’ll see you’re wrong when they do come back!” he retorted, but a small knot of worry crept into his subconscious. _What if she’s right and they don’t come back? No, stop it! Don’t think like that! Paul will call. They will come back. You’ll see. You’re right and she’s wrong. Trust them._ It was going to be a long night. He knew he’d be thinking about everything his wife just told him, weighing it over and over in his mind straight until morning. _Damn you, Christina!_

Breakfast was a strained affair. Christina was still bitter and looked at Jenny every so often with distaste in her eyes, blaming her for the turn of yesterday’s events. Ben was quiet too, and stole glances at Paul and Jenny, trying to gauge their true intentions. Was this a simple trip to the beach for a day, or were they really planning on fleeing? He listened for any clues that would lead him to conclude it was the latter, but hadn’t heard a single one. Jenny was beaming with happiness and excitement. “Would you like us to bring you back some seashells John?” she asked the Wiley’s son.

The boy smiled and asked her if he could come with them too.

Christina told him once more that Jenny and Paul wanted to go by themselves this time. “Yes, you can bring him back some shells,” she said, playing along with Mrs. Hayden’s game. “Take a bottle and bring me back some sea water too.”

“Sea water? What for?” Ben wanted to know.

“I want to soak my feet in it. They say it’s therapeutic.”

Jenny was currently standing beside her car with Paul and Ben, checking to make sure they had not forgotten anything. Christina did not come out, but stayed inside and watched from a window. When she saw Paul and Jenny get into the car, back out and drive off, she unconsciously gritted her teeth and swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. Ben came back inside the house and she went to him, immediately peppering him with questions. “Did you tell Paul to keep his wallet with him at all times?” She didn’t mention his precious sphere. The truth was she’d be happy if he lost the damn thing in the ocean and never found it again. “Did you tell them to make sure they lock the car and set the alarm? Did you remind him to call when they get there and when they’re ready to start back home? Did you tell them not to leave their stuff unattended so no one can steal it? Do they have enough money for parking and food?” 

Ben patiently answered yes to all her questions and taunted her with, “Is that all, or do you want me to call them for a minute by minute update?”

Christina’s face took on a huffy look and she went to go to the bedroom. “If something happens to them, it’s your head on the block now.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to them,” he replied in exasperation.

“Famous last words,” she responded.

“You’ll see,” Ben said and secretly thought back to last night’s conversation. As much as wanted to forget it, he couldn’t. Christina had successfully planted the seed of doubt in his mind. _You’d better call and come back, Paul._

Almost two hours later, the telephone rang and Ben hurried to answer it. Christina was already up in arms, claiming that this was a ruse. Solvang was less than an hour away from the ocean, and here it was twice that since Paul and Jenny left the house. “Hello?” He heard the sounds of seagulls crying and waves crashing on the shore. 

“We’re here,” Forrester said.

Wiley let out a silent sigh of relief. _So much for your ideas of escape, honey,_ he thought, but the day wasn’t over yet. He did feel more confident however, now that Paul had checked in. ”Where are you? What took you so long?”

Paul asked Jenny the name of the place and repeated it. “Jenny said the other beaches were too crowded, so we kept driving until we came to this one.”

“Okay, well, enjoy yourself and have a nice time.”

When Ben hung up, Christina started on him again. “South. They headed south, toward Mexico,” she said.

He waved his hand in dismissal at her. “You’re wrong about them dear. You’ll see.”

Paul helped Jenny spread out the blanket on the sand and put up the umbrella. He undressed to his swimming trunks as she untied her wrap around skirt. They both sat down on the blanket. Paul deeply inhaled the salty scented air. “I haven’t been to the beach since 1987,” he told her. Naming the year was better than saying, in eighteen years. Saying the latter was a painful reminder of his imprisonment and he did not want her to think about that. His eyes soaked in the sights of the waves gently rolling onto the shore, some gulls flying over the water to land on a large protruding rock way out in the water, people swimming, and others sitting on short folding chairs or lying on their respective blankets soaking up the sun and breeze. He suddenly flinched when he felt something cold land on his back behind his neck, then a warm hand rub him. Jenny was spreading the sun block lotion over his back.

“You don’t want to get a sunburn,” she said. “Without protection, you will very easily, then Mrs. Witch will scream and yell and blame me for letting you turn into a cooked lobster.” When she finished, she turned her back to him and told him, “Now you do me.” He ignored her verbal stab at Christina and asked Jenny how much he should use. She took the bottle from him and squeezed a teaspoon’s worth into his hand. While he spread the stuff and covered her back, she squeezed out more and proceeded to cover her arms, neck, face and legs. She told him to do the same. He did and went back to watching the many people, fascinated by all the activities going on around him. Paul smiled as he saw young teenage boys and girls playing volleyball with a very large ball. A young man, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties, ran parallel to the shore and then threw a short, flat, colorful board onto the leading edge of a wave that made it up on shore, and hopped on the board, riding it for several feet. He pointed to it and Jenny spotted the focus of his interest.

“He’s boogey boarding,” she told him, answering his unspoken question. “You can ride it like a skateboard like he’s doing, but they’re made to ride the waves in, like those people are doing,” she said and pointed to some others further down the beach.

“Did you ever do that?” 

Jenny couldn’t help but laugh. “Me? Boogey board? No. Don’t be silly.”

“Why is it silly?”

When she realized he was serious, she said, “If I were 40 years younger and spent every day here at the beach, maybe I’d have considered it, but I never went to the beach that often for me to be interested. I’m too old to try that now. So are you. It’s a young person’s sport. We’d look ridiculous, ” she said and stood up. “Stay here and watch our stuff. I’m going in for a dip.”

“Okay.” His eyes followed Jenny as she slowly waded out to mid-thigh depth, jumping up a little to avoid each approaching wave, holding her body snugly with her arms. He watched her stand there, letting the waves pass by her, until suddenly she dove in when an unusually high one threatened to splash her. Paul waited with understandable nervousness for her to surface. He relaxed when she did so seconds later. He continued watching her as she swam out to chest depth water, wait for the next incoming wave and ride its crest as far it could propel her, then stand up, go back out and do the same thing again. After seeing her repeat this twice more, Paul’s eyes wandered and he started looking at the nearly naked thin women in their very tiny bikinis. He found himself helplessly attracted to them and wished he could go make their acquaintance, but he knew Jenny wouldn’t like that. He put the shameful desire out of his mind and focused instead on a little girl of maybe five or six, playing in the sand next to her parents. She had a plastic pail filled with damp sand and was piling it on top of another pile, building something. He kept watching her and smiled.

_“She’s a little too young for you, old boy. What great looking babes!”_ the ghost Forrester said as he appeared, standing beside Paul, ogling over those same scantily clad females. _“Get a load of those T’s & A’s. Ooh, not that one!”_ he commented as a very fat woman walked by and headed for the water. _“Look out! Whale dead ahead.”_

Paul kept his mouth shut and glanced at his spirit twin. The dead Forrester was now apologizing about the whale comment. _“The big guy said I shouldn’t criticize the way other people look. We all have our own baggage to carry. He’s right, but I forget.”_

Jenny came out of the water after riding a few more waves and made her way back to where Paul sat. He was busy looking elsewhere and she decided to startle him, walking up behind him and touching his back with her wet hands. He flinched at the touch and turned and looked up at her.

“Your turn,” she said with a smile. “The water’s great.”

“Your hands felt cold. You looked like you were cold in there,” he replied.

She confirmed it was frigid at first, but felt warmer once you immersed yourself and stayed in for a while. “Go on. It’s what we came here for. I’ll watch everything,” she said and pulled a large towel out of their canvas bag, wiping herself dry.

Paul wasn’t sure he wanted to freeze himself in the water, but got up and did as she wanted. The sun was nice and warm and the light breeze was just enough to cool him off. As soon as his feet came in contact with the wet sand, he had more doubts about going in. The water wasn’t great like Jenny said. It felt like ice. He stole a look back at Jenny and she waved her arms at him, encouraging him to keep going in. So did the ghost Forrester. Reluctantly, he did. He waded out to waist depth, holding his arms against his body just as she did. The water here wasn’t like it was in their swimming pool. That was mildly cool. This was downright cold! The deeper he went, the harder it was to convince himself to submerge his body. He finally decided to get it over with and dove in as the next wave approached. Paul surfaced, shivering, and swam in with the waves. As he reached the shallows and stood, he was amazed he still wasn’t shaking with cold. _Jenny’s right. It does feel warmer once you stay in a bit._ He went back out and swam in for several more waves. This was fun! It was just too bad Jenny couldn’t join him and they could swim together, but Ben and Christina were right, someone had to watch their belongings, lest someone else decided to steal their stuff. Stealing was something Paul still could not understand. Why did people do it? Regardless of the reason, he couldn’t afford to lose his sphere. Better to take turns swimming while one of them watched their belongings. He was having so much fun in the water, he temporarily lost track of how long he’d been in, until he looked at his fingers. They had pruned. He decided to get out after riding in the next wave, and when he walked up onto the shore he suddenly felt like he had gained a hundred pounds. He dragged himself back to where Jenny was sitting on her towel on top of the blanket, waiting for him. “Well, it’s about time!” she scolded him. “I thought you were going to stay in there the rest of the day.”

“I’m sorry. I should have come out sooner, but I was enjoying myself. I think I may have enjoyed myself too much. I feel very heavy,” he confessed as Jenny handed him a towel to dry himself.

_“Too many snacks,”_ the spirit Forrester said, commenting on Paul’s physique. Indeed, the Starman had gained a slight rubber tire around his middle, put on with age and good eating on a regular basis, not the verge of starvation as it was all too often those many years ago when he was on the run. That wasn’t to say he was fat, because he wasn’t, but neither did he have the washboard abs of younger men in the prime of their life who exercised with a passion to impress the ladies with their bodies. 

“Oh dear, you’re waterlogged,” she said. “Come. Lie down and get dry. Don’t worry. That heavy feeling will go away soon. It happens when you’re not used to being weightless in the water for long periods.”

He nodded and spread out his towel on top of the blanket, then laid down in the warm sun, the shade of the umbrella covering his head and shoulders.

“You hungry?” she asked him.

“Yes, but should I eat when I feel like this?”

“As long as you don’t stuff yourself, you’ll be okay.” She looked to her left and saw the snack shack about 500 feet down. “I’ll get us some fries. You want a hamburger, hot dog or pizza to go with it?”

He rubbed his midsection a moment and told her he preferred a salad. “I think I’m getting fat.”

Jenny grinned and informed him these places didn’t have salads. “It’s all fried food. You’re not fat, Paul. I told you, you’re waterlogged. I’ll get you a plain hamburger and a small diet drink. Okay?” She reached into the canvas bag and pulled out a plastic bag containing his and her wallets and his precious sphere. She took out her billfold, removing a twenty-dollar bill, then put the wallet back into the plastic baggie and shoved it deep so it was on the bottom of the canvas bag. “I’ll be back soon. Put some more lotion on yourself. Just stay down, okay?”

He nodded and she went to get the food. Paul was glad to lie in the warmth of the sun again. It felt so good. He closed his eyes and let his mind listen to the sounds around him. Kids laughed, birds called out, someone’s radio was blasting out a rock ‘n roll song he’d never heard before, a motorcycle’s engine was revving in the parking lot, its owner either arriving or leaving. The wind blew softly and he smelled the saltiness on his skin. _“Reminds me of my younger days,”_ his ghost twin said. _“I loved swimming and surfing and lying in the sand with a cute girl. Every week in summer during my college days I tried to come out here with some guys and girls. We’d stay all day into night. Someone would bring a guitar or radio and we’d build a fire and sing and drink a load of beer. I sure wish I could do it now. I guess I’ll just have to settle for watching you two instead.”_ Smoke from the cook shack drifted his way and Paul caught the scent of fried meat and potatoes. It smelled good and he wished Jenny would hurry back. His stomach churned, telling him it was empty and needed filling. All in all, he was happy and thanked Jenny for thinking of the idea to come here and General Ryder for allowing him to go. He concentrated on the music from the radio while he waited. The smell of food grew stronger and then he heard Jenny’s voice announcing she was back. He sat up.

“I got us a large order of fries to split. Here’s your hamburger with everything on it, and I got a hamburger too.” There were two small soft drinks in the cardboard tray. “I can’t believe how expensive all this was,” she complained to him. “The burgers were four dollars each. It was another five for the large fries and four more for both drinks. That’s seventeen dollars just for this! Those people are making a mint on the food alone, never mind the thirteen we had to pay for parking.” She saw his concern at her ranting and calmed down. “I guess it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the beach. I’ve forgotten how expensive it could get. It’s the inflation I guess. The last time I was at the beach, hot dogs and hamburgers were no more than two dollars. Small drinks were ninety-nine cents and large fries were three dollars. So much for the good old days when things were cheap, huh?”

“If you say so. I wouldn’t know.”

She took a bite of her hamburger and Paul started on his. With food in his stomach, he felt better, and as Jenny said, that heavy feeling was slowly going away as his body adjusted to gravity again. They split the fries with him eating most of it. She said she couldn’t eat that much fried food or it would upset her stomach. They finished their drinks and she advised Paul to keep their paper cups when he got up and went to put the trash into a nearby waste barrel. When he returned, Jenny said, “Let’s build a sand castle.” She pulled out the empty gallon jug they brought with them to get Christina’s seawater, though she didn’t believe the woman’s reason for wanting it, and told Paul to fill it up. “We’ll use it to wet the sand.”

He dutifully obliged her and went to the shore and waded in to his knees, bending over to keep the bottle underwater while it filled. When he returned, Jenny showed him the fine art of castle construction. They spent the next couple of hours adding moist sand here, scraping some off there, until it was just as she wanted it. “Clean off your hands, get your cell phone and take a picture for Ben and General Ryder.”

He did and they reversed positions. Jenny took a photo of Paul beside their two foot tall masterpiece. She glanced at her watch and told him they should start heading back soon. He helped her gather their stuff, taking the time to neatly fold the blanket and towels to Jenny’s impatience, and walked back to their car. 

“We promised to bring back some seashells for John,” he reminded her.

“Yes, I know. Let’s put this stuff in the car first and then we can go look for shells with empty hands, not ones filled with bags, jugs and umbrellas.”

Paul and Jenny returned to the beach and started walking the shoreline. It didn’t take long to spot a scallop shell lying half buried in the sand. Paul picked it up. They were approaching a long rock pier that jutted out into the water. “There’s bound to be some clam, mussel and periwinkle shells over there,” Jenny said and led the way.

“How do you know that?’

She grinned at him. “When I was a kid, my parents took me to the beach to swim and collect shells. C’mon, let’s hurry up.”

They found a few examples of each variety and Paul found four complete clam shells with both halves, their occupants long since gone. “That’s enough,” she said. “Call Ben and tell him we’re on our way home.”

Paul pulled out his cell phone from his swimming trunk pocket and dialed the Wiley’s number.

They were back in Solvang and Jenny was hungry for an ice cream cone. She asked Paul if he would like to stop for one at the local dairy store.

“Yes. An ice cream cone sounds good.”

Jenny pulled the car into the parking lot and they got out to stand in the short waiting line at the take out counter. As their turn came up, Jenny asked Paul what flavor he wanted. There were many to choose from, too many in fact. Many flavors were a mystery to him: rocky road, moose tracks, mud slide. That last one didn’t sound appetizing. Neither did turtle surprise. Were there really pieces of turtle meat in it? He hoped not. Some flavors sounded downright dangerous: tropical madness, death by chocolate. Eventually he planned to try all of them, but right now he went with a simpler choice and ordered a cherry vanilla.

They went back to their car to eat their treats. When Jenny finished hers, she started the car and shifted it into gear, but it wouldn’t move. “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing she was very upset.

Jenny slammed her fists on the steering wheel, then looked at Paul. “The transmission just went. Dammit!”

“Is it that bad?” 

“About two thousand dollars bad,” she complained. “I don’t have the money to fix it!” she said, crossing her arms on the steering wheel and rested her head on her arms and starting to cry. 

Paul reached out and touched her on the shoulder, feeling her distress. “What should we do now?” he asked gently, hoping not to upset her any more.

She leaned back in the seat and wiped her eyes before telling him the first thing to do was to call Ben, tell him what happened and ask for help. 

The telephone rang and Wiley told his wife he’d answer it. Christina hung close by to learn who the caller was. Ben read the caller identifier aloud. “It says cell and our area code.” 

_Here it comes,_ she thought. 

“Hello?” he answered and listened. “It’s Paul,” he told to her.

_I was right. It was a trick._ “They have car trouble, don’t they?” she asked with a sneer.

He nodded. “He says the transmission went.”

She let out a snort. “I told you this was all an escape plan!” she exploded at him. “They waited until now to call so they could get a ten hour head start. I’m calling General Ryder.”

“Say that again, Paul. I couldn’t hear you. My wife was talking at the same time,” Ben said calmly while angrily shushing Christina with his hand to shut up. “You’re where? Uh-huh. Scoops ‘n Scoops ice cream barn up the road,” he said aloud so she could hear him.

Christina stood silent and still as a stone. She’d been half right and half wrong. Yes, their car had broken down, but no, they weren’t miles away as she predicted. Still, it was just their word. She continued listening to her husband talk to Paul.

“Sure. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Did you call the auto club yet?” She said she wasn’t a member. 

“Well, Paul is.” It was a courtesy that Christina had included Forrester in her auto club membership. “Have him pull out the card and give them a call on his cell phone. I’ll meet you in ten or fifteen minutes.”

He finished and hung up the phone giving her a smug smile. “I guess you were wrong about them, weren’t you?” he said, rubbing it in.

“What if they aren’t there?” she countered. “What if they just said that to buy even more time?”

He looked at her. “Then I’ll call you and tell you so, after I call General Ryder first. But I know they’ll be there,” he said and grabbed his keys.

“We’ll see.”

“Yes, we will,” he replied and left.

Paul and Jenny had smiles of relief on their faces when they saw Ben’s car pull up beside theirs. “Thanks for coming for us, Ben,” she said as he got out. “Does Christina still think we tried to escape?” she asked and confessed, “That’s what Paul said he heard her yelling at you.”

“Yes,” he sadly answered. “But she’s going to have to eat her words when she sees you with me. Now, did you call the auto club?” 

“Yes. They said they’d send a tow truck.”

“Let’s pop the hatch and put your stuff in my car,” he said as he opened the trunk. 

Paul and Jenny quickly transferred the umbrella and other stuff to Ben’s car. “We got John some shells,” Jenny said and showed them to Ben. 

“He’ll love those.”

“And we got the seawater too,” Paul added, lifting the jug for him to see.

Wiley chuckled. “She really doesn’t want it you know. She just said she did as a way of proving you were planning to escape. Now that you proved her wrong, she’ll have to take it and admit she was wrong, to her embarrassment. She’ll probably dump it down the drain or in the swimming pool when you aren’t looking. Let me give it to her, okay?” he pleaded to Forrester.

“Won’t that just make her angry?”

“Yes, but she deserves the slap for not trusting you and Jenny. The best thing that’s happened so far for you two has been General Ryder putting me in charge. At least I’m willing to trust you until you give me a reason not to, but she won’t go that far. I don’t understand why she won’t trust you.”

“She’s afraid of me,” he sadly told the man. “I can’t understand it either. Despite everything she knows about me, she still believes I am unfit to live amongst you only because I’m an alien. If she had her way, I’d still be locked up in that place in Nevada.”

“Yes, and I’d be willing to bet you’d be dead by now too,” Ben replied. “You can rest assured, I don’t feel that way about you. I haven’t for a long time. Years to be honest.”

Paul smiled and said, “I know.” He confessed, “I wish I knew what to do to so she would change her mind about me.”

Ben grinned. “When you come up with the answer, let me know, okay? I don’t think anything short of a life-threatening event is going to work for her. If something were to happen to her, or John or me and you saved us from death, then perhaps she might come around. Otherwise, I’d forget it,” he said and told them he was going to call Christina and tell her it would be a while.

They waited for the tow truck to arrive and haul Jenny’s car to the garage.

 

FATHER’S DAY

It was late afternoon when the brass doorbell rang. Paul went to get the door and was surprised to see his son standing at the entrance with two boxes in his hands. One was large and the other one was small. “Scott! Come in. I’m happy to see you. What do have there?”

“It’s father’s day, Dad,” he said, explaining the obvious. “These are your presents. This is the first time I can really celebrate it with you.”

Paul let his son inside and led him through the house outside to the deck, where Jenny and Ben sat by the pool. 

“Hi Scott,” Mrs. Hayden called out. “I’m glad you could come today.”

The young man smiled and told his mother he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Ben added his welcome as Scott put the packages on the table and took a seat next to his father. “Happy father’s day, Dad. You too, Ben.” 

“Thank you,” both men replied.

Scott looked around and noticed Christina and her son weren’t there. He asked Ben where they were.

“My wife took our son with her to visit her mother for a couple weeks. She’s still pissed off at being wrong about your parents trying to escape and me rubbing her face in it.”

“Well, I’m glad the general put you in charge. Maybe now Mom and Dad can get a fair shake. I’m not ashamed to say Mrs. Wiley treated Dad more like a criminal or a slave than anything else. I didn’t like coming here to visit Dad. It felt like a prison. It still does.”

“Well, I hope I can change that feeling,” Ben offered. “My wife made a mistake misusing her authority over your mother. I think I can assure you I won’t make the same mistake. I like and respect your mother and father.”

“I know, but what happens when your wife comes back? She’s still gonna be pissed off at Mom.”

Ben nodded. “Give it time, Scott. Eventually she’ll see the error of her ways. Mind you, she’ll never admit it, but she’ll soften up to your mother and Paul.”

He nodded and decided now was a good time to get off the sore subject of Christina. He pushed the smaller box toward his father. “Open it, Dad.”

Paul did as his audience watched. He held up the gifts and Ben sighed, then smiled and started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Forrester inquired. “I think they’re beautiful.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, getting his chuckling under control. “It’s just a universal joke, Paul. Every father has to get a necktie at least once on father’s day. You got two.”

“Oh,” he replied, though he really didn’t understand the joke at all. “Did you get a tie too?”

“Well, I don’t know about this year. I’ll find out when my wife comes home next week, but yeah, I’ve gotten lots of ties. I got them as gifts for father’s day, and on Christmas and for my birthday too. I never wear them.”

“Why not?” he asked, puzzled.

“I don’t like feeling like I’m wearing a dog collar.”

Paul looked at both Scott and Jenny. “Well, I like these very much. Thank you. I promise I will wear them.”

Scott confessed he couldn’t decide which one to buy, so Jenny had told him to get both and she’d repay him for the other one. “I don’t know why I got them or where you’re going to wear them,” he sheepishly admitted. “I just saw them and couldn’t resist. It’s not like you go anywhere that requires you to dress up and wear one.”

Paul said he could think of one time and occasion that did. “I’ll wear it at Sunday dinner.” Christina told him she liked to retain that one bit of formal tradition; dressing up on Sunday a little better than you did the rest of the week. That was also why she never let him tend his garden or work on his photography projects on that one day. “Sunday is for rest, not work. Even God rested on Sunday,” she’d told him. “Which one should I wear today?” he asked them, holding both ties up to his chest to let them decide.

“I like the royal blue one with the cartoon Martian,” Scott said.

“And I like the black one with the little green alien heads,” Jenny answered.

They all looked to Ben. “Your vote’s the tie-breaker,” she said with a wide grin on her face.

“Good one Mom! Good pun.”

“Thank you. I couldn’t resist,” she replied. “Well?” she asked and waited for Wiley’s answer.

Ben knew from experience with his wife, Christina, which one he’d better choose. Even though what Paul was wearing would clash with either tie, he said, “The blue one,” if just for the humor factor alone. “I’m going to go call Mr. Fox and see if he’d like to come join us, if that’s all right with all of you?”

They agreed. When he went inside to call his former boss, Jenny said, “I think he wants to have some fun and a little humor at your expense, Paul.”

“Yeah, Fox will get a kick out of seeing a real alien wearing an alien tie,” Scott added and smiled.

“Should we cut the cake now, or wait for Ben and George?” Forrester asked his family.

Scott told his parents he couldn’t stay long because Richard had invited him to a barbecue later with his sons, who had returned home to visit their father for the occasion of the holiday, so they’d better slice the cake now.

“How is he?’ Jenny asked quietly. She had not been back to the ranch since the night she told him she was leaving him for Paul. Neither had she called him or seen him to speak to him and ask him how he was. She had totally severed contact with her ex-husband rancher, thinking that was the best thing to do.

“He still misses you a lot, Mom, but I think he’s starting to get over losing you. He says he understands why you chose Dad, but I don’t think he really does. He told me he wishes Dad a happy father’s day,” he finished and looked at his extraterrestrial father.

“Tell him I wish him the same,” Paul replied somberly.

“Make that we,” Jenny added.

“I will. I got him a tie for father’s day too, but his has horses on it.”

“But I’m your father,” Paul replied, confused.

“I know, Dad, but Richard was my stepdad all those years after Mom remarried and we thought you were dead.”

The conversation was turning dark with ugly memories, and Jenny did not want to reflect on them, especially today. “Let’s cut the cake, shall we?” she said, switching the topic. “I got you your new favorite: black forest, chocolate and cherries.” 

Ben came back out to the deck. “No one answered, so I left a message on his voice mail,” he informed them, sounding disappointed. He spotted the cake. “Mm, that looks good.”

“I’ll get the plates, forks and napkins,” Paul said and started to get up, but Jenny stopped him.

“No. You sit. Today is father’s day. It’s our turn to wait on you. I’ll get the stuff,” she said and got up. 

“Got any beer to wash it down?” Scott inquired.

“Sure. It’s in the refrigerator,” Wiley said. “I think I’ll have one too,” he added and looked at Paul. “How about you? You want a beer?”

“No. I’ll have a glass of milk.”

Just then, the ghost Forrester appeared behind Ben and faced Paul. _“What are you, a man or a wuss? I had a reputation as a great drinker.”_

Forrester carefully thought over his answer before replying, hoping to answer both Ben and his spirit twin. “I would rather avoid passing out and having you carry me upstairs and dump me on my bed. I also do not want to wake up feeling sick with a pounding headache like I did the last time six months ago.” Indeed, he had never touched another alcoholic beverage since.

“It’s just one beer.”

“Dad can’t tolerate alcohol,” Scott enlightened Wiley. “Just two beers floors him.”

Ben couldn’t believe it. “So that’s why you always refused to have a drink when I offered you one.”

“Yes,” Forrester admitted a little embarrassed.

“I thought you were avoiding it to show my son that adults still like to drink milk too,” he said, surprised by the news. “All this time I had no idea.”

“Neither did we,” Scott said, “but we found out fast when Dad keeled over after supper at Mom’s cabin.” He went on to elaborate about the event. “After Dad passed out, Mom asked me how much we had to drink. I told her just two beers. We couldn’t believe that’s all it took to knock him out.”

“Okay then, it’s milk for you,” he said and looked at Forrester with astonishment in his eyes, before getting up to go to the refrigerator. Scott stopped him and volunteered to get the beverages.

The ghost Forrester feigned disappointment. _“There goes my reputation.”_

The brass bell rang and Jenny said she’d answer it. A few moments later, she came back with Scott, Mr. Fox and Sylvia in tow. “Look who’s here,” she announced.

“Mr. Fox! I tried calling you earlier, but no one answered,” Ben said.

“We just thought we’d drop in and see how Paul was doing,” George said. It was his first visit since Ben informed General Ryder he was back living with his wife and was available to supervise Paul, therefore relieving Fox of that duty when Christina needed to take a break.

“Sir, you’ve got to see this,” Ben said and pointed out the tie Forrester was wearing.

George looked at the Martian wearing the Roman looking helmet with brush top and holding a ray gun and smiled. “Very funny.”

“We thought so,” Jenny replied.

“A tie, Mrs. Hayden?”

“Why not? Don’t you like ties?”

“Scott gave me one too,” Paul said and reached for the box, opening it and showing the other one to the retired agent.

“They’re Paul’s first father’s day gifts,” Wiley leaned close and whispered to George. “You know he’s never been able to celebrate it before.”

“How appropriate,” Fox commented dryly and noticed one person was missing. “So where’s Christina?”

Ben told him about General Ryder putting him in charge now and her taking two weeks off to go see her mother, taking their son, John, with her. The news surprised George.

 

P & J IN BED LATER THAT EVENING

Paul and Jenny were in bed at last. “It was very quiet today,” he said. “I miss them.”

“Who? Christina?” Jenny asked, incredulous at the thought.

“Yes.”

She was surprised. “You miss that witch?” she asked him, using the politer term than what she really thought of the woman.

“She isn’t always so bad. She can be nice too.”

“Nice? Hardly. She treated you like she owns you and me like I have some social disease.”

“Yes,” he answered distantly. “It’s John I miss the most. I miss his laughter when he asks me to play a game with him and his father.”

Jenny heard the sadness in his voice and said, “I know. I wish could have been there to enjoy all those years while Scott was growing up too. Our baby’s all grown up now and living on his own.”

Paul looked at her. “Yes, and I missed most of those years as well. Scott is 34 years old and I’ve been with him for less than three of those years. Three,” he repeated, emphasizing the number. “I’m almost like a stranger to my own son.”

“No, you’re not. You’re his father and he knows it. It’s what you two shared during those two and a half short years that counts. He loves you very much. Even I can see that.”

The conversation had turned dark and ugly again and she looked for a way to get off the topic. “Let’s talk about something else, okay?” she suggested. “I know. Let’s talk about your birthday. What do you want for your birthday?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, c’mon. There’s got to be something you’d like to have.”

Paul was still caught in his desire to reclaim the past. “Alright. I want you and Scott to spend the day with me.”

“That’s all? Don’t you want something else, like maybe a new shirt, or a hat, or a camera? I could get you a digital one. Or maybe you’d like another tie?” she finished and looked at him to see if he was paying attention to her, or still dreaming about what he could never get back.

“I don’t need material things to make me happy,” he told her, “but if you want to buy me a camera or tie, that’s fine.”

“Well, don’t sound so enthusiastic about it,” she chided him. 

He drew her closer. “I’m sorry,” he apologized and kissed her. “I will like anything you want to give me, but having my family with me is the best gift of all.” He went back to thinking about Ben’s son. “John asked me to go bicycling with him and his father, but I had to tell him no for three reasons,” he said and named them. First, he didn’t have a bicycle. Second, he’d never ridden one, and third, Christina wouldn’t allow him to go.

“Christina,” Jenny spat with bitterness. “Well, now that Ben is in charge, maybe he will let you go. I’d like to join you too. Bicycling is great exercise. We can make it a two family thing. Scott might even join us. I can always pick up a used bike cheap somewhere at a yard sale.”

“How much does a new one cost?”

She turned his question around, asking him how much he was willing to spend on one. Just like that, Jenny stumbled across the perfect gift for Paul’s birthday. She’d talk about it with Ben and Scott.

###    
**JULY**  


It was Independence Day week. Christina had come back a week ago from her sudden visit to her mother’s after being embarrassed by her husband on purpose as a way to emphasize the point that she was wrong to mistrust Paul and Jenny. Ben had set the jug of water Paul and Jenny had filled at the beach down in front of her and said with a smug grin, “Here’s your sea water. Go soak your feet.” The sting of the insult still hurt and her opinion of Paul and Jenny had not changed. In her mind, the trip to the beach was just a practice run to gain more confidence. Maybe next time or the time after that, she was certain they would make a break for it and then it would be her husband’s turn to suffer the embarrassment and consequences. Forrester and Mrs. Hayden were patient in their escape plans, and so was she. Everyone was sitting at he breakfast table when Ben said, “I just read in the paper the town’s fireworks show is tomorrow night. Do you want to go?” he asked Christina.

“Oh please, Mommy!” John begged excitedly. “I want to see the fireworks. Please? Can we go?”

Mrs. Wiley was almost seven months pregnant and dealing with all the discomforts that were associated with the condition, such as bouts of nausea, absurd cravings, backaches, sore feet, etc. One look at her son’s face and hearing his pleas though, were enough to get her to agree and hope she felt up to it.

“Great,” Ben said and looked at Paul. “You and Jenny will come with us too of course,” he said. “This will be your first fireworks show, won’t it?”

There would be a lot of firsts this year for Paul, like his recent Father’s Day celebration, Ben thought with both happiness and sadness alike. There was Paul’s upcoming birthday later this month, then Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to. Ben, Christina, and George Fox too, had given Forrester birthday gifts during the first few years of his imprisonment, but stopped when he asked them to because he said the gifts only served to remind him of each passing year he spent in captivity unable to truly enjoy the occasion. Christmas was the same. Paul became deeply depressed during the holiday season and it grew worse each year. While he, Christina and George could give the Starman anything they wanted that was allowed, Paul could only give them a drawing or painting he’d done, or a plant from his garden because he had no means of giving them anything else for their kindnesses to him during the year. They empathized with Forrester and told him the drawings and plants were enough, but it still left Paul in dark spirits. Thankfully, that chapter of the extraterrestrial’s life was closed. Forrester was still a captive of sorts, but at least he had the freedom now to venture beyond the boundaries of this house. Ben brought himself out of his thoughts and listened as Paul answered his question.

“Yes. I’ve only seen them on TV. I saw a special once on how they’re made. It’s one of the few peaceful purposes you have for using explosive material. It’s noisy, but pretty.”

“And they’re fun to watch,” Jenny said and added, “Maybe we could ask Scott if he’d like to join us?”

“Of course,” Ben answered. He can meet us at the high school parking lot and we’ll all go sit on the football field and watch the show from there.”

“I’ll go call him now and leave a message on his machine,” Jenny said with a smile and got up. 

 

The Wiley’s and Paul and Jenny arrived at the school grounds, each in their two separate cars, well in advance of the start of the show, insuring a prime parking place. The adults each carried their own folding lawn chairs, and Ben carried the extra one for his son. Ben wisely let Christina choose where they’d sit for the best viewing after he’d asked a couple local people where the rockets were going to fired from. They all set up their chairs and John promptly asked his father and Paul to play Frisbee catch with him. Several other children were also playing the game on the field. Many had glowing green or blue rings, which they tossed between each other. Paul was fascinated to see the lit rings whizzing around every which way. Some people were even wearing them. It was quite a popular thing by the looks of it. John asked his father if he would buy him one of the chemically lighted toys. 

“You’d better ask your mother,” he said and the boy did.

“No,” Christina answered. “You have your Frisbee. Play with that.”

“But Mom!” John cried, promptly going into a temper tantrum. “Everyone’s got them. I want one too.”

“You don’t need one. Be satisfied with what you have.”

“But I want one!”

Ben knew his wife’s adamant refusal would soon escalate his son’s plea to the next phase: open bawling, and he wanted to avoid a public display of that at all costs. “Oh, let him have one,” he said to Christina, giving the boy one last hope of getting the toy. He rarely gave into his son’s temper outbursts. That would set a bad example if he always pacified his son by buying him whatever he wanted when he threw a fit, but Christina's constant denials wasn’t always the solution either. That attitude had cost her her position as Paul’s supervisor, and she still hadn’t learned the lesson that once in a while you had to give in. “I’d like one too. Let’s join the crowd.”

“Fine,” she growled. “Go waste your money.”

“C’mon John,” Ben said reaching to take his son’s hand. “Let’s find a vendor and get us one of those things. C’mon, Paul. Would you like one too?”

Forrester had quietly watched the situation and knew Ben’s wife was angry. “I’ll come with you, but you don’t need to buy me one of those rings. I have no need of it,” he said.

Christina smiled. “At least someone’s grown up and has some sense,” she retorted, commenting on her husband’s immaturity.

Jenny was tempted to take Ben’s side and pull out some money from her pocket and tell him to get one for Paul and her, but decided against it. Things were still smoldering beneath the surface between her and Mrs. Wiley as it is from the beach incident. She didn’t want to re-ignite the fire. As the men left, she sat in her chair and tried to make some small talk with the woman. Jenny’s job at the sporting goods store kept her out of the house during the day and into early evening five days a week. By the time she arrived home, she barely had time to spend with Paul unwinding from the routine of the day before he went to bed. He was still conditioned to rising and going to sleep on the schedule he had followed during his incarceration, but was attempting to adjust by staying up later for her. By the same token, she had equally as little time to socialize with Christina. The woman had treated her with niceness when she brought Paul to see her at the ranch before she’d moved in, but everything changed the day she did move in. Christina’s tone of voice and glances at Jenny hinted at the suppressed hostility underneath. The woman made it clear to her, she was unwelcome to live in the house by presenting the paper with the list of rules. It was a tangible way of Christina expressing her authority over both her and Paul. Even though it was meant to be a slap in her face, Jenny accepted the conditions and did her best to follow the instructions. Jenny knew it was the price she had to pay to live with her Starman. The growing resentment Jenny felt at Dr. Wiley’s constant refusal to allow Paul the slightest bit of extra freedom came to a head the morning she’d asked Christina for her for permission to take Paul to the beach and she vented it explosively, against Paul’s advice. General Ryder’s unexpected visit and his decision to side with her and not Christina, just added fuel to the fire. Jenny felt momentarily victorious at having triumphed over the woman. Simultaneously though, the wedge that existed between her and Mrs. Wiley had been driven deeper than ever. General Ryder’s putting Ben in charge was the frosting on the proverbial cake. Christina was ice cold and barely acknowledged her presence. “I hope the clouds aren’t too low and block out the show,” Jenny said. Today’s weather forecast said partly sunny with increasing clouds in the evening with a possibility of rain. “John would be terribly disappointed if that happened.”

“Yes,” Mrs. Wiley answered curtly and went back to reading the paperback book she’d brought with her to pass the time rather than talking to Jenny.

Paul, Ben and John had returned with the new glow toys. Paul and Ben were wearing theirs like necklaces.

“Paul looks like he’s enjoying playing with your husband and son,” Jenny tried again to initiate conversation.

Christina looked up from her novel at the three of them tossing the rings to each other. Her son had just thrown his ring to Forrester. It was angling toward Paul and gaining altitude. Paul jumped up with his arm extended and barely caught the flying toy.

“Great catch!” she heard Jenny shout to him. She gave Jenny a smirkish look and returned to her reading, savoring the last remnants of daylight before darkness made it impossible to continue.

When Christina didn’t answer, Jenny took the hint and stood up. “Got room for another player?” she asked and went to join the boys in the game. 

Darkness settled in. John had seemingly endless energy and wanted to play more, but Paul, Ben and Jenny grew exhausted from running and jumping to catch John’s glowing ring and called an end to the game. They all took their seats and saw the first test shot go up in the air and explode, sending the brightly colored particles out in a spherical pattern. 

Scott showed up and placed his chair beside his mother’s. 

“I didn’t think you were going to come,” Jenny said.

“I said I would,” he replied. “Actually, I was standing over by the fence and watching you and Dad play with John and Ben. I see you got your energy back. I’m glad.”

“Me too, but I don’t have as much energy as John does. Oh what it is to be a kid. All that energy is wasted on kids. It’s us adults that need it.”

Scott laughed. “I hear you Mom.”

Fifteen minutes later the actual show began. 

Later that evening, Ben looked at his wife lying in bed next to him. “I want to talk to you about Paul. He really enjoyed himself tonight, didn’t he?”

“Yes,” she agreed.

“His birthday is coming up at the end of this month. We haven’t celebrated the day or given him any gifts in over fifteen years because he said it depressed him. I think he’d be very happy if we celebrated his birthday this year and gave him a gift. This will be the first one with his family and friends that he can really enjoy. What do you think?”

Christina didn’t have to think long. “Yes, I think he’d like that. We can throw him a small party.”

“Well, Jenny said she wanted to make this the biggest and best birthday party he’s ever had. She said after what he’s suffered through, he deserves nothing less. I agreed with her. We owe it to him.”

“She never mentioned anything about it to me. Why did she ask you and not me?”

Ben gave his wife a reproachful stare. “I think that’s obvious. She was certain you’d say no just like you’ve said no to everything else she’s asked you for.”

Christina knew the comment was a reference to the ill-timed argument she had with Mrs. Hayden to allow her to take Paul to the beach, alone. The reproach coming from her husband still stung.

“Jenny told me she had a great gift idea. It’s a little bit expensive, but if we all pitch in, I know Paul will love it.”

“Expensive,” she repeated, shifting her attention back to the conversation. “How much is expensive?”

“Oh, like five hundred dollars, give or take a few.”

She eyed her husband with a frown. “What does she want to give Paul that costs five hundred dollars?”

He proceeded to tell her what Jenny told him. 

“Don’t get any ideas about spoiling it for him.”

“What do you mean?” Christina asked angrily. “I won’t spoil anything.”

“Knock it off. I see how you’ve acted toward Jenny since General Ryder allowed her to take Paul to the beach and put me in charge. You’ve been acting like a spoiled brat giving her the cold shoulder treatment. Face the facts dear. You were wrong about them. They had no intention of escaping. Paul has said a dozen times he likes it here.”

As Paul’s birthday drew closer, Jenny had a talk with Ben and now, Scott. He balked at her request to spend the entire day with his father, citing that he was too busy. She exploded at him. “Don’t give me that I’m too busy crap Scott Hayden! This is important to him. For eighteen years all he had were his memories and a picture of us to look at. He couldn’t communicate with us to even tell us he was still alive. That hurt him more than you can imagine. Don’t you dare hurt him some more by denying him what he wants the most. If he wants two hours, or four, or even ten of your so called ‘busy life’, then you’d damn well better give it to him!”

Scott was shocked at her reprimand and was shamed too. “I’m sorry, Mom. You know I’d never want to hurt Dad,” he apologized, “but Richard really needs me at the ranch in the morning. Some important client is coming that day and he wants me to help him with the customer. I’ll spend the rest of the day with Dad, but that’s the best I can do.”

“Okay,” Jenny sighed.

“Is there anything else?” Scott inquired.

“As a matter of fact, yes, there is.” She went on to tell her son, Paul wished he would come by more often to visit than he did. “He doesn’t understand why you don’t.”

“I visit you and Dad once a week, Mom.”

“Yes, but it’s not enough for him right now, at least not yet. Look honey,” Jenny explained in a gentle tone. “I know you’re all grown up and have your own life. He knows it too. No one can give us back the years we missed and could’ve had with him, but we can try our best to make up for it. He has me back now, but he still wants and needs you, Scott. That’s why I’m asking you to start stopping by here every day after work. You don’t have to stay long. Five or ten minutes would be enough, but it would help him tremendously to see you on a daily basis.”

Scott silently groaned at the request, but listened as his mother continued.

“When he’s ready to let you go, let him tell you you can cut back your visits every day. Do this for him. Do it for me. Please?” she begged and listened for his reply. “He said he feels like a stranger to you. He hardly knows you. All he does know of you is when you were 14 or 15. He needs to get to know you all over again.”

“All right, Mom! Enough with the guilt trip,” he retorted. “I’ll come see Dad every day until he tells me not to. Satisfied?”

“Yes. We’re cutting the cake after dinner.” 

“I’ll be there. I promise,” Scott said a bit annoyed now with his mother’s pressuring. “I gotta go. Bye.”

Jenny hung up the phone and smiled.

 

PAUL’S BIRTHDAY

Jenny woke up, opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the man still sleeping beside her. The sun was just sending its first rays of light over the horizon and into the room. Birds were already singing, rousing the resting populace with their songs. She lay there, just staring at her peaceful prince for several long seconds, then took her hand and gently stroked his silky soft hair. Her touch awakened him and she apologized, then leaned closer to give him a kiss on his cheek. 

“Good morning.”

He looked at her. “Yes, it is,” he agreed. Getting a kiss the first thing in the morning from the woman he loved most in the universe made it so. “Good morning to you too.”

“Happy birthday, Paul.”

His smile widened. So that was why Jenny had that bright grin all over her face. “Thank you.”

She pulled back the blankets and got out of bed. “C’mon. Today is your special day and I’ve got surprises planned for you all day long, starting with breakfast.”

Paul lifted his eyebrows, wondering what she had in mind. 

After they showered together and dressed, they quietly headed downstairs to the kitchen where Jenny ordered Paul to sit and watch while she prepared blueberry pancakes with all the fixings for him and the Wiley’s. 

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee brought Ben and Christina and their son, John to the table. 

“Breakfast’s almost ready,” Jenny cheerily said as she finished setting the places at the table for everyone. “I’m making Paul his favorite today.”

Ben took a look and noticed the stack of pancakes on the plate. “They’re my favorite too. Let me be the first to wish you, happy birthday, Paul” he said, and his wife seconded the wish. 

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but Jenny wished me happy birthday as soon as I woke up this morning.”

“Oh. Well I’ll settle for being second and Christina for being third.”

“Me fourth! Happy birthday!” John exclaimed in his high child’s voice. “Did you open you presents yet?” he asked, wondering if he’d missed the excitement.

Paul looked at Ben and Christina. They gave the boy a reproachful stare, indicating he should not say anything more, but it was too late. The secret was out now. These people had gotten him a gift. He smiled at the child and told him, “No, John. I didn’t open anything yet. I wasn’t expecting any presents.”

“You’re not?” he asked completely surprised. “Don’t you want any? I always like getting presents on my birthday.” 

Paul looked again at the Wiley’s and back at John. He couldn’t tell the boy the reason he refused gifts in the past. He decided to turn the question around and asked, “Are you hinting you got me a present?”

John’s face paled and his body stiffened for a moment, realizing he’d made a mistake and spoiled a surprise, but just as quickly he grinned and said, “Uh huh, but I’m not telling you what it is.”

Forrester couldn’t help but smile. He loved the boy’s simple answers and thought it was too bad more adults couldn’t be like children. Their feelings and thoughts were out in the open, with no hidden agendas. He said, “If you told me what my gift is, then it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore, would it?”

John shook his head. 

“Well, thank you,” he said. “I’m sure I will like whatever you got me.”

That afternoon, Ben, John, Christina, George and Sylvia, Jenny and Scott all sat watching as Paul opened his presents. A beautiful blue bicycle with 18 gears and tires for either on or off-road terrain was standing parked against the deck railing along with a gift certificate for getting the safety helmet, gloves and whatever other accessories Paul wished, up to $100 dollars: a gift from everyone there. Paul thanked them and told them, “Now all I need to do is learn how to ride it.”

“Daddy and I can teach you,” John said with pride.

Forrester smiled at the boy. “I’d like that,” he said, accepting the offer. “Then I can go with you the next time you ask me to join you.”

“That’s right,” Ben said. “We can all go together for a day’s ride once Christina has the baby. It’ll be fun. We’ll head out in the morning and stop along the way for a picnic somewhere at noon, and head back in the afternoon. There’re plenty of nice roads around here perfect for bike riding. You’ll love it, Paul.”

“I don’t think he’ll love the sore butt and legs that go with it,” Scott piped up.

Ben assured the Starman that would go away with conditioning. “Why don’t you join us, Scott? Do you have a bike?”

“No, I don’t. Thanks anyway. I prefer my car or Richard’s horses to a bike.”

Paul looked disappointed and Jenny suggested, “So, ask to borrow one of his horses that won’t get spooked by a bunch of bikes and then you can come with us.”

The look in Jenny’s eyes hinted to Scott she expected him to say yes.

“If you give me advance notice and I can get the day off, okay, sure.”

With the issue settled and a smile back on Paul’s face, he proceeded to open his next gift. It was from John. The cardboard box was large and unwrapped. A large towel covered the top. Paul lifted the covering off and looked inside. The boy had gotten him a black and white speckled rabbit. He suspected the child had gotten the animal more for himself than for Paul, but he accepted his new pet with grace. He carefully lifted the rabbit out of the box and placed it on his lap, gently stroking its soft fur. “I think she likes me.”

“What are you going to name her?”

He had to think a moment before asking, “What do you think of Jenny?”

“But that’s her name,” John responded and looked at Jenny Hayden. 

Paul looked at his Jenny and she smiled.

“I’d be honored if you named her Jenny, or Jennifer,” Mrs. Hayden said.

“Then Jennifer it is.”

“You know what I think? I think you’re starting a zoo here!” George teased. “You’ve got fish, Guinea pigs, a dog and now a rabbit. What’s next? Chickens?”

John naturally thought that was a great idea, but Ben and Christina quickly quelled that notion. “This is not a farm and we’ve got enough animals as it is. We don’t need any more.”

Paul put the rabbit back in its temporary home and moved on to open his next present from George. He unwrapped the box and looked at the package. It contained a set of five dice and a scorecard pad and rules for the game. 

“Maybe we can play a few rounds once you learn,” George said. “It’s simple enough. We can all play a round or two. It’s a great way to pass the time on a rainy day or some evening when there’s nothing good to watch on TV.”

Paul thanked him and agreed to try the game a little later. It was time to open his next, and last, present.

Scott had just given his father a small photo album containing the few pictures he had saved of himself and his mother during the years Paul was hidden from them. George and Christina were surprised to see Forrester suddenly cover his face with his hand, and heard him sniff back tears.

“Dad? What’s wrong?” Scott asked, seeing his father’s distress.

Paul wiped his eyes and looked at his son and Jenny. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve wished to celebrate my birthday with both of you for the last eighteen years and couldn’t,” he choked, “and now that I can….” He couldn’t finish the sentence. Scott and Jenny went to embrace him and he let the tears he’d held back so long flow freely down his cheeks. 

George and Christina were shocked to see Forrester’s intense emotional release as he openly sobbed and trembled in Scott and Jenny’s arms. They offered him equal emotional support in turn.

“Daddy? Why is Paul crying?” John asked, confused. “Didn’t he like his present?”

“Just the opposite. He liked it too much,” Ben started quietly, trying to explain a complex story in simple terms a seven-year-old could comprehend. “You see, Paul was away from his son and Jenny for a very long time. He couldn’t see them, or talk to them, or even write to them, and they didn’t know he was alive.”

“Why not?” the child wondered.

Ben was mindful his wife and former boss were listening as he told the boy, “Because he wasn’t allowed to.”

“Why not?” John persisted.

“Maybe someday when you’re older, your mother and I and George can tell you the story in a lot more detail, but right now it doesn’t matter. What does matter is Paul is together with his family. Having Scott and Jenny here with him today was just too much for him to handle. Sometimes when you’re very very happy, it makes you cry. Okay?”

John nodded, still not understanding, but temporarily satisfied with his father’s answer.

Ben cast a look at Forrester and smiled sadly. He might not be a trained psychiatrist, but he knew what he was witnessing was a good thing. Now Paul could begin to heal his wounded psyche. George and Christina looked at Ben and he stared back at them, giving them an _I told you we should have let him go years ago_ look. He glanced back at Forrester, and after Paul had regained his composure, said, “Hey. This is supposed to be a birthday celebration, not a funeral, so let’s celebrate, okay? Part of celebrating is having fun and playing games. The first game we’re going to play is who can swim the fastest. So, I’m challenging you to a race, Paul. Let’s go get our swimsuits on.”

Forrester let go his embrace and wiped away the last of his tears. He quietly told Scott and Jenny, “Thank you. I needed that,” then eyed Ben and the others. He got up and started to the house, but stopped at the sliding glass doors. “Did you bring your swim trunks, Scott? I’ll race you too.”

“You sound confident you’re going to win,” Scott replied.

“That’s because I am,” he said with a smile.

“You’re on!” he crowed and followed his father inside. 

Jenny sat silently and looked at George and Christina. She couldn’t help feeling bitter as she stared at the two people responsible for Paul’s emotional breakdown.

Christina quickly avoided Mrs. Hayden’s stare and told John, “Why don’t you go get into your swimming trunks too. Maybe you can beat Paul today. ” She watched as her son went into the house to change. When the door closed, she looked at Jenny again. The woman was still eying her icily, and probably expected an apology, but she remained silent and looked to George for help.

Unlike Christina, Fox was a little more forthcoming. “I wasn’t expecting him to react like that today. I guess we should have foreseen it coming. He can’t forget the last eighteen years just like that and I don’t expect him to. I’ll tell him I’m sorry when he gets back out here,” he offered to Jenny.

“He’ll appreciate that.”

Almost as if on cue, Paul came out onto the deck dressed in swim shorts and carrying a towel in his hand. He stopped in front of Jenny and the others, doing a quick study of their faces. Judging by their expressions, he concluded that he was the topic of discussion.

George stood up in front of Forrester and gently pulled him off to the side for a little more private conversation. He asked him softly, “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Are you sure? That was quite an emotional display you gave us a few minutes ago.”

Now he understood the man’s concern. “I couldn’t help it. Looking at the pictures, and being reminded of everything I wanted and missed, it triggered a response that came to the surface all of a sudden and overwhelmed me.”

“Listen. I just want to tell you I had no idea how badly you were still hurting. You hide it well. Too well my friend. I’m sorry.”

Paul put his hand on his former captor’s shoulder and said, “I know. That’s why I forgive you. I’m sorry for spoiling the joyous moment with my…outburst.”

Fox grinned. It was so like Forrester to take the blame away from them and shoulder it himself. “Just do your swimming coach proud and win the race for me, okay?”

“You‘re not going to race me?”

“I didn’t come dressed for it.”

“You can borrow a pair from Ben. I’m lending my extra pair to Scott.”

George declined. “I’ve seen you swim. You’re too fast for me. You could even give the Olympic swim team a run for their money.”

Paul raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

Ben, John and Scott came back out. “Really what?” Wiley asked, wondered what he missed. “What are you two discussing?”

“I was just telling Paul he’s gonna pass your ass on the first lap,” George said.

“Oh is that so? We’ll see,” he replied, mildly offended. “Let’s go, Paul.”

Starman, alien, extraterrestrial, Paul Forrester, beat his challenger easily, and Scott as well, but the race between Paul and John was declared a tie. The child wasn’t stupid and accused Paul of purposely slowing down and fixing the race. He challenged him to another one. Forrester accepted and John beat him this time by an arm stroke. John objected that Paul was letting him win again. Ben softly reminded the boy that Forrester was probably getting tired. “This makes four races Paul’s swum in a row. At ten complete laps against Scott and me, and three for each race with you, that’s a lot of swimming.”

The child accepted the explanation and nodded, smiling proudly to his mother as he climbed out of the pool to go to her. 

Forrester looked at Ben and told him, “Thank you. I am getting tired,” he said. The twinkle in his eyes told Ben though that Ben was right: he purposely lost the race. Wiley grinned and they both proceeded to get out of the pool. 

“You sure were fast, Dad,” Scott said.

“I had a good coach,” Paul replied and looked at George as he took a seat at the patio table with the others. 

“Well, thank you,” Fox said.

“What are we going to play next?” John asked, still excited with his win. “How about pool volleyball?”

Christina gently reminded her son that this was Paul’s birthday party, and as the honoree, it should be his choice about what to do next. “Perhaps Paul would like to rest a bit first and then do something a little slower? He’s not seven years old and full of energy like you are.”

John eyed Forrester eagerly, ready to play whatever game the older man wanted to play.

Paul grinned and then smiled. “Maybe we can play croquet in a few minutes. Why don’t you go and get the set and your father can help you set up the wickets?” he suggested and looked at Ben. There were enough balls and mallets for everyone to participate, and more importantly, it was a lot more leisurely than swimming races. John raced off to get the game out of the garage and Wiley slowly followed. “Take your time,” Paul told the man. Everyone chuckled.

“Feeling a little bit old are you, Forrester?” George couldn’t help asking, rubbing it in.

“I think I still have enough energy left to beat you,” Paul admitted. “Care to race me?” he challenged, knowing the man would refuse.

Fox just smiled and shook his head.

 

Evening came and Scott went to tell his parents he was leaving. He hugged his mother and she whispered in his ear, “Thank you for making your father happy. Don’t forget your promise to come tomorrow.”

The reminder was unnecessary. Scott was still shaken after witnessing his dad’s earlier emotional breakdown. Seeing firsthand the depth of his father’s pain convinced him his mother was right. He really didn’t have a clue how badly Paul had been hurt by his involuntary total isolation. If a daily visit would help heal that deep wound, then he was willing to do it for as long as his dad wanted or needed it. He let go of Jenny and moved to stand in front of his father. Paul opened his arms and he readily went to embrace him. “Happy birthday, Dad.”

Forrester relaxed the hold and held his son out at arms length. “Thanks to you and your mother, this will always be my best birthday ever.”

“Nah,” Scott teased. “Wait until next year when you turn the big 6-0. Then I can really start calling you old man!”

Paul looked past his son to see his ghostly twin leaning against the wall and cringing at Scott’s last two words.

_“Old man my ass! God, I hate the sound of that!”_

_“Sixty is not that old by today’s standards,”_ Forrester said seriously, answering both of them.

_“At least you’ll make it that far. Listen to your father you young squirt!”_

Scott grinned and chuckled. “Yeah, okay,” he said, completely unaware of the other Forrester standing behind him listening in, as was Jenny. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” At Paul’s curious smile, he explained, “It’s my last present for you, Dad. I promise to stop by every day after work to see how you and Mom are doing.”

Forrester cast a glance at Jenny. He was wise enough to suspect she had played a part in this, but if he expected her to admit her role, he was mistaken. She didn’t give him the satisfaction. Another look at his spirit self nodding confirmed his suspicions. He simply said, “Thank you. I’d like that very much.”

Scott said good-bye and left.

Fox took his cue to leave from Paul’s son. He and Sylvia stood by the door beside Paul and Jenny. “Quite a birthday party Forrester. Looks like you got everything you wanted.”

“More than I ever expected,” he agreed with a smile and put an arm around Jenny.

George extended his hand to his alien friend. “I hope the rest of your birthdays are as happy for you as this one was.”

Paul had no reservations at all and shook Fox’s hand, thanking him for the kind wish. 

“I’ll guess I’ll see you around.” He and Sylvia left and Paul closed the door after them.

“I’ll help you clean up.”

Later that evening as Paul and Jenny were in bed, he turned to her and asked, “Can you keep a secret?”

“Of course. What is it?” Jenny asked, curious that he still held any secrets from her.

“You can’t tell anyone, not even Scott if I tell you.”

She nodded.

Paul took a deep breath. “You know all those times you saw me talking aloud when no one else was in the room and asked if I was talking to myself?”

“Yes.”

“I wasn’t alone. I was talking to the other Paul Forrester. The original one.”

Jenny’s eyebrows shot up. “But he’s dead. Are you telling me you were talking to a ghost?”

It was then Paul confessed that ever since his revival after he tried to commit suicide, he was able to see, hear and speak to his spirit twin. “He’s here in the room with us right now.”

“Really? Where?”

“Over there,” he said, pointing to the empty spot next to his fish tank on the bureau.

“I don’t see him.” 

“Can you make yourself visible to her so she can see you?” he asked the other Forrester.

_“Sure.”_

Paul looked to Jenny and she looked to where he said the ghost was standing, and told him she still saw nothing.

Forrester cast a stern look at the other Forrester. “I am not sick or mentally ill,” he told her. “He’s right there giving me a smug smile. You do believe me don’t you, Jen?”

Jenny Hayden had learned to expect the unexpected whenever she was around Paul. “Yes,” she answered.

_“Uh-uh. She’s lying. Naughty, naughty, Mrs. Hayden,”_ he said as he stroked a finger over the finger of his other hand.

“Why won’t you show yourself to her?”

_“I said I could. I didn’t say I would.”_

“Why not?”

_“What kind of a guardian angel would I be if everyone could see me?”_

“Please. For me? Just this once?”

The spirit Forrester got serious and stood up straight. _“It’s normally not allowed unless the big guy gives the okay. You’re lucky. Seeing as it’s not midnight yet and technically still our birthday, He’s granting me permission and telling me to give you and her this gift.”_

Jenny watched the ghostly Forrester slowly come into view before her stunned eyes. “Oh, my God!” she gasped. “He really is there!”

_“Of course I am! Your Boy Scout wouldn’t lie to you.”_

Paul looked again at Jenny. “He likes to tease and engage me in snarky banter.”

“Snarky?” she and the ghost Paul asked simultaneously.

_“Bro, you gotta stop reading the dictionary for fun.”_

Jenny asked her Paul Forrester if he saw the other Forrester all the time.

“No. He comes and goes at his pleasure. He usually decides to come when it’s most inconvenient for me.”

_“Did you hear that?”_ the spirit said, placing his hand over his heart in mock wounding. _“I tell you Mrs. Hayden, he gives me no appreciation.”_

Jenny giggled.

“He was at the birthday party,” Paul confessed.

_“Yeah, and I’m the one who tipped you off that your gal here was behind getting your son to promise to see you every day.”_

“Thank you for that by the way,” he said to both of them.

The ghost Forrester took a step closer to the bed. _“Happy birthday, Boy Scout. You have many more ahead of you. I gotta go now. Be seeing you around. And you too, Mrs. Hayden. Au revoir mademoiselle,”_ he said, bowing low and promptly vanished.

Jenny looked at her Starman. “I can’t believe it. This explains what you said the day you had that accident and hit your head. When Mrs. Wiley had to stitch your head, you mumbled something about not wanting to die. You were talking to him then, weren’t you?”

“I saw him then, yes.”

“And a couple weeks ago when we were at the beach?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Jenny admitted she had serious concerns about his singular conversations with himself. “I should have known better.”

He smiled. “How could you when I was the only one who see and hear him? Now that you can too, you’ll have to be careful when he reappears or Christina will think you’re mentally unbalanced.”

Ben and Christina were having a conversation of a different nature. He stared at the ceiling as he told his wife, “I can’t get the image out of my head of Paul breaking down and crying after Scott gave him the photo album with the pictures.”

“All I keep seeing is the hateful looks Scott and Mrs. Hayden gave me.”

Ben turned his head to look at her. “Can you really blame them honey? You never should have come up with that stupid lie and told them Paul was dead. It traumatized all of them, none more than Paul. Today’s incident shows he’s still suffering from that trauma.”

“Since when did you get your degree in psychiatry?” she retorted, irritated that they were going to discuss the same mistake all over again.

“I had eighteen years practice observing the subject, the same as you,” he responded.

“So what do you want me to do about it? What’s done is done. I apologized and admitted it was wrong. All we can do now is help Paul deal with it.”

“What do you suggest?” he asked, looking for suggestions.

“Me? Why me? You’re in charge now.”

Ben argued that she was still Paul’s primary care physician, and reminded her that his physical and mental well-being was still her responsibility. “Just put away your superiority attitude and help me figure out what we can do to help him.”

Christina didn’t like his referring to her like some snob. After several seconds she hesitantly suggested, “I suppose we could have a group therapy session if we can get everyone to come, especially Scott, and not have it turn into a hate fest aimed at me.”

“Do you want me to speak with Paul and Jenny about it?” he offered.

“Yes. They’re more apt to listen to you than me.”

Ben then told her he thought of bringing up the suggestion at breakfast. “We can both talk to them.”

The next morning as Ben said, he brought up his wife’s idea. “Paul, I…we, think it would be in your best interest and health if you, Jenny and Scott, along with my wife and I and Mr. Fox, sat down together for a therapy session to discuss what happened with you yesterday.”

Forrester tried to reassure them that he was okay. “It won’t happen again.”

“No, Paul,” Christina said. “I think it will. You need to talk about those years and let your feelings out. So do Mrs. Hayden and your son. You can’t keep it hidden any longer. Yesterday’s emotional outburst was a sign everything needs to come out now. The sooner the better. After it does, you can let it go, move on and heal.”

Jenny listened and reluctantly agreed with the woman. “She’s right, Paul. You need this. We all do. I don’t want to see you break down like that again. I don’t want to see you suffer any more.”

_“Listen to her Boy Scout,”_ the ghost Forrester said as he appeared standing behind the Wiley’s. _“The big guy upstairs doesn’t like to see you hurting and you are. Don’t try to deny it. He knows you’re still in pain.”_

Jenny almost gasped as she saw the spirit Paul, but she fought hard and kept her composure as she tried to ignore the dead man’s presence. Paul was right: he tended to show up at inconvenient times. This was one of them. She looked at her Paul. Evidently he noticed her slight reaction and took her hand. “Okay,” he said and looked at Ben and Christina, while also trying to ignore the ghost Forrester. “When are we going to do this?”

“We’d like to do it today if I can get Mr. Fox here after dinner tonight. If not, then we’re going to have to pick another day,” Ben said. “All of us need to be here. Do you think you can get Scott to come?”

Paul told them his son was supposed to come today for a visit after work. “If we can get him to stay, we can proceed.”

Later that day, Scott parked his junky car behind his mother’s in the long driveway. He recognized Mr. Fox’s car beside his mother’s and surmised the man was inside the house. He wasn’t keen on spending too much time with all the government agents here, but a promise was a promise and he got out and went to the front door, ringing the brass bell mounted to the wall. His mother answered the ring and opened the door. He greeted her and kissed her on her cheek, then followed her inside to the living room where he saw everyone sitting silently looking at him. “Hi Dad. What’s going on here? Did I interrupt something?”

“No,” Paul answered. “Actually, you’re just in time. We’ve all been waiting for you.”

Scott got the creepy feeling he’d just walked into some sort of trap. “Waiting for me. Why?’ he asked cautiously.

Paul looked at Jenny and the others and back at his son. “I’ve agreed to attend this therapy session to discuss what happened yesterday at the party. I want you to join us too. Christina thinks we all need to sit down and talk about this to help me get over it. Can you stay and join us? If you have other plans, we’ll reschedule, but everyone is here right now.”

Scott looked at the others and wanted to run out, but he looked again at his father and recalled what his dad had just said, and what his mother said the other day. They were all here to help Paul. 

“Honey?” Jenny said, waiting for his answer. “Your father needs this. Can you stay?”

“How long is this going to take?” Scott asked, going on the defensive.

“As long as it has to,” Christina replied. “An hour, maybe two, or more. It may last well into the night. So, we need to know your answer.”

Scott really didn’t have any plans that evening, though he wanted to say he did. However, that would just mean postponing the inevitable. “Yeah, I can stay,” he said, certain that he was going to regret it.

Christina started the session by stating the purpose of the meeting. “I want all of you to be completely honest and don’t hold your feelings back, but neither do I want this to turn into a hate fest. There will be no name calling or swearing. If you feel the urge to cry, then cry. We’re all here to help Paul. Let’s try to remember that.” With that, she looked at Forrester calmly sitting, watching and listening to her. She asked him to tell everyone what happened, how he felt and what he was thinking when he started to cry.

“I was remembering all the birthdays and Christmases I missed having with Scott and Jenny….”

“It was all your fault!” Scott said loudly to Mrs. Wiley. “Because of you, I missed eighteen more years I could have had with my father. I could have had some kind of continuing relationship with him, but you ended all that when you lied to us and told us he was dead.” He looked at Paul with tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “I cried for months every time I thought about you Dad. That was at least once a day or more. I cried and grieved for you until I couldn’t do it anymore. It was just a good thing I was out of the country then or I would have taken my revenge and killed both of them for killing you,” he said and looked at George and Christina. “Believe me, I thought of some very nasty ways to knock you two off.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t come back to carry your plan out. You’d still be on the run, or rotting in jail for murder, or dead if you succeeded,” Fox gently reminded the young man. “The government doesn’t take too kindly to people who kill their agents. You’d be locked away in federal prison for the rest of your life if we’d caught you, or shot dead if you resisted.”

Paul was horrified to hear his son had planned to murder George and Christina, and perhaps even Ben. “I’m thankful you were out of the country too. It hurts me to think you wanted to kill them though. I thought I knew you better than that.”

“Dad, I know it was wrong, but you don’t understand how much it hurt me and Mom when they told us you were dead. It hurt so bad I wanted to die too. Knowing they were responsible made me angry; so angry all I could think of was doing to them what they did to you. That’s how much I loved you Dad. It’s how much I still love you. I’m just glad it was all a lie and you’re not dead so I can keep on loving you,” he said and went to hug Paul. 

When father and son finally released their embrace, George said, “I’m sorry I ever agreed to Mrs. Wiley’s idea in the first place. In hindsight, it was a giant mistake, even if it did work.” He looked at Christina.

She got the hint. It was her turn to apologize, even if she hated to do so and still believed her lie was the right thing to do. “I’m sorry too,” she said. “Can you forgive me?” The question was directed more toward Scott and Jenny rather than Paul. Of all of them, Paul seemed to harbor the least anger towards her. While they took some time to give her their answer, she excused herself for a moment to go check in on her son, John. She’d told him this meeting would be very boring and asked him to play in his room while the “grown ups” had their long conversation. John said he wanted to go outside and play with Sparky, and she agreed to let him have fun with Jenny’s dog, but warned him not to go near the pool. He agreed and she left him alone in the back yard. He soon grew bored when Sparky had enough of chasing and retrieving the ball and didn’t want to do it any more. He went inside the house to his room and decided to play with his toy soldiers. Playing army eventually got him to thinking about his parent’s guns. It was a typical boy thing and his natural curiosity drove him to sneak out of his room and into his parent’s bedroom to look for them. He knew they kept the guns in hiding, out of his reach, probably in the closet. He dragged a chair as quietly as he could to the closet and stood on the chair, looking at the top shelf. He saw the metal cases and presumed that was where they were hidden. He took one down and got off the chair, placing the case on the bed. He tried opening it, but of course it was locked. He started looking around for the key, and found it in the nightstand drawer. He inserted the key in the lock and was excited to find it fit. John opened the case and took out the pistol, nervously handling it. It felt heavy. He knew if his mother or father were to come into the room now, he’d be severely punished, but he pushed that fear out of his head and kept examining the revolver, fascinated at handling the forbidden object. His child’s mind failed to notice the bullets still in the chamber, left there from an earlier incident a couple months ago when a burglar broke into the cellar and robbed them. Christina was too shaken then to think about it and simply replaced the gun in its case without removing the ammunition. John needed both thumbs to work the hammer and pulled it back, cocking the weapon. He watched in interest as the cylinder turned and the next round came into firing position. He lifted the gun and started pointing it at targets around the room: the closet doorknob, the table lamps, a tree branch outside the window. He whispered, “pow, pow, pow,” as he imaginarily fired at them. The pistol was growing heavier and heavier in his small hands and he lowered it until the barrel was pointing at the floor and his feet. The excitement, fun and curiosity with the revolver over, he tried to decock the pistol, but didn’t know how. Now he grew scared. He decided to just put the gun back in its case as it was. 

Christina looked in John’s bedroom but found it empty. Where had he gone? She proceeded to look in her bedroom and froze in horror at seeing her child playing with her pistol. 

John suddenly heard his mother scream his name from the doorway. Perhaps it was the terror of being caught doing what his parents had told him never to do, or the fatigue in his young hands, but he swung around to face his mother with the gun still in his grip, and it fired. The bullet struck Christina in her abdomen and she fell to the floor. 

“Mommy!” John cried. He dropped the gun to the floor and stood there shaking.

Everyone heard the loud pop and knew it was a gunshot. They scrambled out their chairs and ran to the Wiley’s bedroom. Ben sank to his knees beside his stricken wife, attempting to examine her as she writhed on the carpeted floor. 

“I’ll call 911,” George said and went to grab the phone beside the bed.

“No, I can heal her,” Paul said and reached for the sphere in his pocket. “Just help get her on the bed.”

Christina was struggling to fight the pain and hold onto conscious. “No. Call… the ambulance… Save… my baby.”

Ben held onto his wife’s hand and tried to convince her to trust in Paul and his special abilities. “Honey, baby, Paul can heal you. Let him do it. It’ll take too long for the ambulance to get here. You could die by then.” He looked at the Starman with fear written all over his face. “You can save her and the baby, can’t you?”

“I don’t know. I will certainly try. I do know I must hurry or it will be too late.”

“Do it then,” Ben insisted and he looked to George to help get Christina on the bed.

Jenny went to take the child out of the room and comfort him so Paul could work his miracle on Christina, while Ben and George gently lifted the woman and placed her on the mattress. 

“No… Call ambulance,” she struggled to say, but it came out weakly. 

Another look from Ben, and Paul activated his sphere. He reached out to touch the frightened woman and simply said, “Sleep.” She instantly quieted and lay still.

Wiley and George moved aside and Paul concentrated on the orb. It lit up at his command and he told Scott, “Get your sphere out and help me.” He laid a hand on her stomach. “You work on stopping the bleeding. I’ll work on repairing the damage to the baby.”

“Dad, I’m scared I’ll mess this up.”

Paul assured Scott he wouldn’t make a mistake. “Just concentrate on fixing what you know is wrong. I’ll help you if you need me to.”

“Okay,” Scott said reluctantly and pulled out his sphere.

“What can I do to help?” George asked, but Paul was oblivious to him, as was Scott.

“You can go see how Jenny is doing with John,” Ben said. “I want to stay here and watch them.”

Fox nodded and went to find Mrs. Hayden and the child.

Jenny looked up to see the ex-FSA agent coming into the living room. She was hugging the still sobbing boy, who was devastated at having hurt his mother, and deathly afraid of what his father was going to do to him. “How is she?” she wanted to know.

“I don’t know. Paul put her to sleep and your son is helping him with the healing. I hope he can pull it off and save the baby too.”

“If anyone can, he can. Trust him. I do,” she said with confidence.

George confessed he wish he had as much faith in Paul as she did.

Jenny was tempted to tell him if he did, the last eighteen years would have been very different, but she let his comment pass without a reply.

“Do you think I can talk to him?” he asked, nodding at John.

Her motherly instincts soothed the boy enough for him to calm down and stop his crying. He was still scared though, and George’s commanding demeanor made him shrink into Jenny’s arms. She looked at Fox and he got her hint to go easy and not terrify the youngster any more than he was already.

“John,” George began softly, addressing the child in almost the same tone he used to speak to Paul when he was deeply depressed, “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to know why you went into your parent’s bedroom and got your mother’s gun. You know you’re not supposed to touch them, don’t you?”

John nodded and squeaked out a barely audible, “Yes.”

“Then why did you do it?”

The boy tried to concentrate on the task. “I was playing outside with Sparky,” he began and wiped the tears from his eyes, “but he didn’t want to play anymore, so I came inside and went to my room. I took out my soldiers and I played army.”

“Yes. What happened next?”

“I pretended I was a soldier. I didn’t have a gun, and Mommy won’t buy me one. I know she has a gun and Daddy does too, so I went to their room to get it.”

Fox blew out a shaky sigh and tried to maintain his calm control. Fortunately, Jenny stepped in to help.

“John, honey. You know mommy’s gun is not a toy, don’t you? Her and daddy’s guns are very real and they can hurt people, just like they hurt Scott. You saw what happened to him. That’s why your parent’s told you never to go into their room. They don’t want you to get hurt too.”

“I know,” he said and started crying again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt Mommy. Is she going to die?”

“No, no, John,” she crooned. “Your mommy is going to be okay. Wait and see.” She hoped it was true.

“I want to see my mommy.”

“I’m sorry, honey, but daddy, Paul and Scott are trying to fix your mommy up. You can see her when they’re finished, okay?”

“I want to see her now,” John wailed and struggled to extricate himself from her grasp.

“No, you can’t. Listen to me,” Jenny said and held onto the boy tighter until he stopped fighting. “Your daddy wants you to stay out here with me until they’re done.”

“John. Listen to Mrs. Hayden,” Fox said. “We’ll go in just as soon as they’ve finished. Alright?”

“Gee, Mr. Fox. I guess hooking up with Sylvia has mellowed you out. I never could picture you being patient with children. You surprise me,” she said.

George smiled. “I had eighteen years to learn to take care of a big kid who taught me the true meaning of the word. I think you know him. His name is Paul.”

She grinned. “Yes, I know him.”

He excused himself and told her he should go and check on Forrester’s progress.

John settled down and looked up at the woman holding him. “Are Mommy and Daddy going to be mad at me?”

Jenny quietly told him yes, but assured him they still loved him and would forgive him in time. A minute later, Ben came out of the room and sat on the sofa next to his son. The boy was naturally afraid of his father’s reaction and sought Jenny’s protection. Ben saw John sink deeper into Mrs. Hayden’s arms and said calmly, “It’s okay, John. I’m not going to hurt you. Come sit on my lap.”

The child was timid about accepting the invitation, but eventually dug up the courage to do as his father asked. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to hurt Mommy,” he cried.

“I know, John. I know. Uncle George told me what happened.”

“Can I go see Mommy now?”

Ben shook his head no and told his son, Paul and Scott were still busy fixing mommy up. “We’ll go when they come out and say they’re done. Until then, I want you to wait out here with Jenny. Can you do that for me?”

“I want to see Mommy.”

He kept his voice soft and soothing. “I know you do, and you will soon.”

“Do you and Mommy hate me?”

Ben assured his son he loved him and always would, but right now he was very disappointed John hadn’t listened to his and his mother’s warning to never go looking for their guns. “We’ve told you how dangerous they are and now you’ve seen it for yourself. Promise me you’ll never go looking for our guns again.”

“I promise,” he whimpered. 

He kissed his son on his forehead and sat back holding John. He looked at Jenny for support.

“Paul will heal her. She’ll be okay. Trust him.”

“I do. I just hope he has enough energy this time to save my wife and the baby.

She assured him Paul was fully recovered now, not weak and exhausted from trying to extinguish a raging wildfire like he tried to do the last time, and then asked to do a healing on top of that. “This will take a lot out of him, and he’ll need a lot of rest to regain his strength, but he’s strong enough to finish the job this time, not like when Scott was shot. And Scott is helping him.”

Ben told her he knew that, but just needed to hear it from her.

John didn’t understand what was going on, or what they said Paul was doing to his mother, but Ben and Jenny assured him Christina would be okay again in a few hours. He just had to be patient and wait. He was smart enough to know that when people got badly hurt, it took longer than a few hours to get well. He remembered it took Paul a couple weeks, almost a month really, to recover from his accident by the pool. “I don’t understand, Daddy. How is Paul making Mommy get well?”

How could he explain this, Ben wondered, without revealing the big secret? “Paul is using his magic marble on her,” he said and hoped to leave it at that, but John’s curiosity grew and he wanted to see the magic again, like when Paul made the boy’s game spheres bounce up and down and spin around to land on his bed. 

“No. Not this time. We can’t disturb Paul or Scott.”

Jenny suggested they watch a movie while they waited and she got up to select a DVD from the rack, turn on the TV, and put the disc into the player. The animated movie held the boy’s attention until George came back out for a breather.

“How’re they doing?” Ben asked as he handed his son to Jenny to hold. 

“I wish I could tell,” Fox admitted in frustration. “I can only assume it’s going well, but slow. Paul is staying focused on the job. Scott is trying to do the same, but he’s tiring out. I don’t think he can keep going as long as Paul. Paul is going to have to finish the job. 

Ben said he was going back in and reminded his son to stay with Jenny. “I’ll be back out soon.”

The movie ended and George got up to put another one in that would hold the child’s attention. He picked a film that was one of Forrester’s favorites. It was the story of a boy who was abducted by an alien computer/ flying saucer that crashed in Florida and the alien asked the boy to be its navigator. When that movie ended, Scott came out to tell them his father was finished with the healing and they could go in now. “I’m going to crash on the couch,” he said and proceeded to lie down, closing his eyes. 

John hurried to go see his mother, but stopped by the doorframe, afraid to go in the room. Christina turned her head and saw her son standing there. She extended her arm to him and asked him to come to her. “It’s okay, John. Come see Mommy.”

He overcame his fear and went to her side. He apologized, saying he was very sorry and started to cry. The tearful scene played itself out again for the third time that night. Christina spoke softly to her son. “You know what you did was wrong and very very bad.”

“Yes,” he squeaked.

“We told you never to go looking for our guns. You broke that rule. You know Daddy and I are going to have to punish you.”

John nodded.

“We’re going to take away the TV, DVD’s, computer and video games for a month. We’re also going to take away all your toys and give them to charity. Rosalind and Harry go too. You’ll spend the rest of your summer vacation reading books or helping Paul with his flower and vegetable garden.”

The boy’s seven-year-old mind was incapable of fully comprehending the scope and severity of his crime, and he thought that his punishment was too severe. “No! Please don’t take away my toys and R and H too! I said I’m sorry Mommy. I promise I won’t ever do it again,” he bawled, but Christina shook her head and said, “I’m sorry honey.”

John went to his father next and pleaded with him in hopes of getting a lesser sentence. “Daddy, please don’t give away my toys and R and H.”

Ben looked at his wife and back at his repentant son. The punishment was harsh to be sure, but so was the crime. He took his son by his arms and spoke softly, slowly, and gently. “John. I’m not going to go against your mother on this. What you did was very very bad. You could have killed your mother. Do you know what that means? Mommy would have gone away forever, and your unborn sister too.”

“But Paul made Mommy better. Mommy’s okay now,” he said, though he still couldn’t figure out how Paul did it. From his point of view, it truly was magical.

“That’s not the point, John. The point is you hurt mommy very badly. You could have hurt or even killed yourself. You broke our strictest rule. This calls for very strong penalties. We’re not doing this because we hate you, son. We’re doing this because we love you and we want to teach you right from wrong. We want you to learn to listen to us. Do you understand?” 

The child nodded timidly. 

“Okay,” Ben said. “Go give Mommy a kiss and then it’s off to bed.”

Paul turned to follow Jenny out of the room, but Christina called out to him. He stopped and looked at her. She obviously wanted to talk about what he did for her, but he was not in the mood for a long discussion right now. He was very tired and only wanted to go to sleep. “Can we talk tomorrow? I really need to lie down.”

Christina looked closer at Forrester and noticed the fatigue written on his face. With a sigh, she said, “Yes, it’ll wait. Good-night, Paul.”

He bid her the same and dragged his exhausted body up the stairs to his bedroom where Jenny was already undressing herself and readying for sleep. George was right behind him and headed for his guest room, deciding to spend the night at the house rather than driving home. “Good-night, Paul.”

“Good-night, Mr. Fox,” he said and closed the door to his room. He stood by the bed and stripped down to his underwear, taking the time to fold his clothes and put them on the chair beside the window, then climbed under the sheets where Jenny waited for him. She kissed him, told him good-night and added, “I love you.” Paul replied with the same words. It was a nightly ritual they’d gotten into ever since Jenny had been allowed to move in with him. The words and what they meant had not gone stale with daily repetition and he promised they never would. He closed his eyes as his head rested on the soft pillow. Jenny clung to his arm and he smiled. He fell asleep within minutes.

_“Your boy scout did good tonight,”_ the ghost Paul said as he appeared beside the bed.

Jenny opened her eyes at hearing the faint voice and gasped. The spirit Forrester was standing looking down at her Paul as he softly snored. She instinctively pulled the blanket a little higher over her body. “Yes, he did,” she whispered.

_“Be thankful you have him, Mrs. Hayden. He’s a rare prize: a genuine diamond in a bowl of zirconia.”_

“I am thankful. I thank God every day for him coming into my life, and I thank God again for bringing him back to me when I thought I’d lost him forever. I pray I never lose him again.”

The ghost Paul smiled. _“I have it on good authority that he’s yours to keep. That’s not to say it’ll be smooth sailing from now on, because it won’t be. I’m just telling you, you don’t need to worry about him leaving you for another woman. His heart is too pure to even think about it.”_

Jenny grinned with relief. “Were you watching him tonight as he healed Mrs. Wiley?”

He nodded. _“Of course I did. He never hesitated to help her, or anyone else who needs it. That’s what makes your boy scout such a special prize. He’s a far cry from what my life was like when I was alive. I had a reputation of loving women, leaving ‘em and moving on to the next one. The big guy upstairs took notice and this is my penance. I get to see where I screwed up in life and watch him fix it. He’s fixed a lot since I died. He’s got a lot more of my mistakes left to fix.”_

Jenny was growing tired and wanted to sleep too, not talk all night with a spirit. “Can we continue this some other time?”

_“As you wish.”_ The ghost Forrester vanished without saying another word. 

Jenny cradled her head next to her Paul’s shoulder and laid her arm across his chest. She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep like her Starman.

Breakfast was nearly as painful for John as last night’s incident was. Paul held the crying boy on his lap and tried to soothe him as Ben and Christina gathered their son’s pet guinea pigs and games and toys and placed them in Jenny’s car to take with her when she went to work. She’d drop off the animals at the pet store and the other things in some Christian charity collection box. “You can help me clean the cage for the rabbit you gave me for my birthday. And you can still play with Sparky. He likes when you play with him,” Paul said.

John heard Forrester’s offer, but he was still devastated at losing all his toys and his pets for his transgression. He wiped at his tear-stained eyes. “Okay.”

Jenny had secret plans of her own where the child’s pets were concerned. The boy was hurting enough and sincerely regretted what he did. Ben and Christina’s punishment was very harsh, and she agreed it needed to be, but she disagreed that John should lose his beloved guinea pigs forever. She intended to follow Scott home where he would change clothes and shower before going to work at the ranch. She would ask Scott to take care of the furry little creatures, keeping them at his apartment until Christmas, when she intended to return them to John. Everyone would be satisfied. The boy would hopefully learn his lesson, pay the price and never do such a dangerous thing again. She cringed as she thought about what could have happened, and almost did. Thankfully Paul was able to prevent the worst outcome. Memories of Scott lying on the ground, bleeding and seriously wounded assaulted her and she fought to push them away. Her son was well now and Christina was too, all thanks to her alien friend and lover. George Fox, Ben, Christina and Paul were all going to discuss yesterday’s incident and the reports they were going to send to General Ryder. She wished she could be there to listen, but she had to go to work. She thought surely Paul’s healing last night would earn him extra points in his and her quest for total freedom. If it didn’t, then she intended to bring her protest to General Ryder personally. Jenny kissed Paul good-bye for the day and told him she’d be back late tonight because was staying to make up for taking time off on his birthday. 

Scott placed his hand on his dad’s shoulder and said he’d see him tonight, then thanked Ben for the delicious pancakes, eggs and sausages. “It sure beats cold cereal.”

After Jenny and Scott left, Ben asked his son to go to his room and find something to read because he and the others were going to have another “grown up” meeting.

John reluctantly climbed down from Paul’s lap and sulked off to his room, stopping by the door. Ben picked up his son and gave him a kiss, telling him he loved him. “Now promise me you’ll stay in here and not try to sneak off and get in more trouble.”

John nodded and said, “I promise Daddy.”

“Good. When Daddy’s done, perhaps I can talk Mommy into letting you help me teach Paul to ride his new bicycle. Would you like that?”

“Yes,” he said and smiled.

Ben put his son down. “In you go then. If you need to use the bathroom or want something else to eat, come out and tell us, okay?” he asked and closed the door, but left it partially open. He went back to the kitchen where Christina, George and Paul were waiting for him. “How’re you feeling honey?” he asked his wife again.

“I’m fine, Ben,” she answered and looked at Forrester, as did her husband and Mr. Fox. “Are you sure my baby is okay?” she asked Paul.

He gazed at the three people staring at him and waiting for only one acceptable answer, but he gave them the truth. “As far as I can tell, yes.”

Naturally, Christina, being the mother, became alarmed at hearing the cautionary prefix. “What do you mean, as far as you can tell?”

Paul swallowed nervously, but gave them the facts as he knew them. “There was a lot of damage to your daughter. The bullet passed through her developing body this way,” he said and showed her by putting his finger on his right side and drawing a line across his abdomen to his left side just above his stomach.

The physician in Christina made a quick mental note of what internal organs would have been damaged. It was extensive. She closed her eyes and placed both hands over her mouth and swallowed hard. “Oh my God,” she cried. She knew now that her husband was right: the ambulance never would have arrived on time to save her baby. She knew her unborn daughter was killed instantly when the projectile passed through her, and the only reason her daughter was alive right now was because of Paul and his magical alien powers. She opened her eyes, lowered her hands and directed her attention back to Forrester.

“I fixed everything the sphere told me was wrong. I decided to leave the bullet inside you though, because trying to remove it would have been too stressful for your daughter.”

“But the material it’s made of is toxic.”

“Yes, I know. I took care of that problem. First, I reshaped the bullet so it wouldn’t hurt your baby while she grows inside you, and then I coated it with the copper that was in the tip. Copper will not harm your baby. The bullet will be ejected when you expel the birth sac after you give birth to your daughter.”

Christina found herself choking up with tears. “I feel so ashamed,” she admitted. “I’m so sorry I never could bring myself to trust you the way my husband and General Ryder do. I can’t explain why I stayed so afraid of you, but I want to tell you I will never doubt my trust in you again. Will you forgive me for my mistake and ignorance?”

“Yes,” he said simply and smiled.

She got up and went to give Paul a hug. “Thank you. Thank you for saving my daughter.”

No one noticed John was standing watching his mother embracing Forrester and crying, until he said, “Mommy? Why are you holding Paul?”

Christina let go of the Starman and told her son, “I was thanking him for making me well again. Now why are you out here and not in your room reading like we told you to?”

“I can’t find anything I want to read. Can I go out and play with Sparky?”

“No. Stay here,” she said and went to her computer room, coming out again a few seconds later with a book she offered to John. The cover had a picture of rocks and a hammer on it. “You can read this. Now scoot.”

The boy took the book and headed back to his room again, disappointed at not getting out of his reading assignment and closing the door behind him, but leaving it open a bit as his father had.

“I guess I should say I’m sorry too,” George said softly. 

“I noticed Christina didn’t include you in her apology. Does that mean you still do not trust me?” Paul asked seriously.

Fox’s face flushed with color. “One part of me tells me my mistrust in you is misplaced, and the other part tells me it’s not. It’s been a constant battle within me for the last eighteen years, but I think what you did for Mrs. Wiley last night just cast the deciding vote in your favor.”

Paul smiled.

“I have a question,” he said and directed it to Christina and Ben. “Did your son load the gun, or was it already loaded when he found it?”

Christina told him she and Ben had discussed that last night and Ben said it was loaded when he picked it up off the floor after John had dropped it. “This accident was partially my own fault. Remember that burglar break-in a couple months ago? I was so upset I just locked it away and didn’t think to take the ammunition out.”

George asked her and Ben if either one of them had unloaded the pistol since.

“Yes,” Wiley said. “We put the cases back in the closet, but we hid the keys where John won’t find them so easily this time.”

“That’s good. You don’t want to be filling out numerous police reports in triplicate for accidental discharge of a firearm. Paul, you may not realize it, but you saved them from a ton of paperwork. I don’t plan on reporting this incident to them if we can keep it quiet. How about you two?” he asked and looked at the Wiley’s.

“I don’t see a problem why we can’t just keep this under wraps,” Ben said.

“I see a problem,” she said.

“What problem?” Fox wanted to know.

Christina explained about the possibility of the bullet showing up on her next ultrasound examination. Her husband stupidly asked her if she could just refuse to have it.

“Of course,” she replied annoyed at his shortsightedness. “But my doctor is going to want to know why.” She looked back at Paul. “Can’t you remove the bullet now? You said it was too much stress for my baby last night, but what about now? We can’t let the doctor see it. There would be way too many questions to answer how it got there. We’d rather avoid that if we can if you know what I mean?”

Paul noticed all eyes focused on him hanging onto what he would say. “Yes, I know what you mean. I can remove it, but I’d rather not at the moment.” Before they could ask him why, he explained, “The bullet is resting in back of the baby. I’d have to move it around the baby to get it out. That isn’t a problem. After that, there are two options you can choose. The least stressful for both of us is to move the bullet to the natural opening and leave it there until the baby is ready to be born. You will expel it when your water breaks. The next option is to make an incision and remove it. That requires another healing. I will do whatever you decide, but I want to tell you, I have not recovered all the energy I used last night to heal your baby and you.”

“Are you okay?” she asked him with genuine concern.

“Yes, but I’m still quite tired. When is your appointment?” 

“The day after tomorrow.”

Forrester nodded solemnly. “I see.” 

“You won’t be recovered by then?”

He shook his head. 

“How long will it take to fully recover your energy? Is there anything we can do to help speed it up?”

He heard the hope in her voice. “For something as major as what I did for your daughter, it takes much more than a couple of days. It took me years to fully recover the energy I used to create this body. As for what you can do to help me, just let me rest and give me enough food to replenish this body’s needs. Time will take care of the rest. What do you want me to do?” 

She told him she didn’t want to harm him.

Ben agreed and asked how much energy it would take to simply move the thing and leave it in.

“Much less than the other option,” he responded. “It would be negligible.”

“Then I think it’s a no-brainer.” He turned to address his wife. “I suggest you let him move it, leave it in and take the chance they won’t see it.”

“I have to agree with Ben,” George said, finally speaking up. “We can’t afford to weaken Forrester any further. You never know what kind of crisis is waiting just around the corner that might require his special brand of assistance.”

Christina nodded and asked Paul when he could do it.

“Whenever you’re ready. It’ll only take a couple minutes. Is after we finish this meeting alright?”

She grinned at him. “That would be fine,” she said and adjourned the meeting. She asked George to look in on her son and keep him company for a couple minutes while she and Ben and Paul went downstairs to the cellar and the special examination room down there. She laid down on the table and Paul pulled out his sphere while Ben stood by her side and held her hand, watching. Forrester activated the orb and placed his hand on her bulging stomach. She smiled and giggled. 

“What’s so funny?” Ben asked her, confused.

She told him she could feel the bullet’s movement inside her. “It kind of tickles. Ooh.”

“What is it?”

“The baby just kicked. I think she knows what you’re doing, Paul, and I don’t think she likes it.”

“She does know something is going on, but she does like it. She won’t feel the bullet at all once I move it into position. There.” He deactivated the sphere and put it away.

“That’s it? You’re finished?”

“Yes.”

“That was fast,” she commented and sat up, looking at him. “Thank you. There is one more thing I didn’t address. I think I’m safe in assuming that you don’t need any further counseling about your incident. You seemed to deal with it okay in my medical opinion.”

It was Paul’s turn to thank her. 

They went back upstairs and George said he was going home.

 

Jenny felt bluebirds rolling in her stomach as she dialed her brother’s telephone number. Even now, she still wasn’t sure of what she was going to say to Wayne or how to break the news to him about Paul. Only Paul standing behind her with one hand on her hip and the other on her shoulder kept her calm as she heard the ringing on the speaker stop and someone pick up. 

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Wayne,” she said, knowing he’d recognize her voice even after years of not hearing it.

“Hello, Jenny,” he said coolly. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” she told him and then asked to see him. “Can you come here? It’s urgent.”

“What do you want to see me about?” he asked, asking the reason before consenting to her request. 

“Paul’s back,” she blurted out.

“Stop it Jen!” he exploded. “He’s dead. You saw the pictures. He died on the operating table. That bastard, Fox, and his goons killed him. I know you loved him very much, but for God’s sake, let him go!”

“They lied, Wayne.”

Jenny’s brother had had enough of listening to his sister’s unending nonsense. He was tired of her hanging onto an impossible wish. Of course, he thought it was impossible the last time too, but this time it was different. Last time, the alien had left Earth and went home to his planet in the stars. This time he died. No one came back from the dead. “That’s it, I’m hanging up. Don’t call me again until you get some professional help.”

“Please don’t hang up,” Paul shouted in a hurry. “She’s telling you the truth,” he said slower.

There was a prolonged silence on the line as Jenny’s brother was stunned into speechlessness.

“Wayne?” Jenny called. “Are you there? Wayne?” She turned to Paul. “I think we lost him,” she cried softly.

“No, he’s still there. We would have heard a click or something if the connection were broken.”

That voice! Could it possibly be true? Could Forrester actually be back from the dead? But how? “Paul? Is that really you?” Wayne dared to ask at last.

“Yes, it’s really me,” Paul said and grinned.

“You’re alive?”

“Yes,” he replied with a chuckle. 

“But the pictures?”

He told the man they were taken when he was merely asleep, not dead as they made him believe. “They never killed me.”

“Those Goddamn sons of bitches! A hoax! I knew it. I knew it wasn’t true. I’m sorry, Paul. Never should have believed that woman. I should have kept trying to get you out.”

Paul sadly told him he wouldn’t have succeeded. “We need to talk. Can you come here?”

“Yes, of course I can. Where are you?”

He gave the man the address and description of the house.

“I can be there Saturday. I have some work I must take care of first, then I’ll be there.” A few seconds later he asked if his sister was still there.”

“Yes, Wayne,” Jenny answered. “I’m here.”

Geffner apologized to her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blown my temper at you. I should have believed you.”

She told her brother she forgave him. “Hey, I was shocked too when he showed up at my door. I mean, he was supposed to be dead.”

“Yes, but you still believed Paul would come back, even from the dead, when I thought you were just plain nuts.”

“We can discuss all this in detail on Saturday,” Paul said, eager to end the call before too many painful details were revealed. “We’ll be waiting for you.”

Wayne took the hint. “Okay. Wait until Phyllis hears this!” he said and bid his sister and Forrester good-bye, then hung up. 

Paul pushed the button to silence the dial tone on the speaker and looked at Ben and Christina, who sat there quietly listening to the entire conversation.

“Now comes the hard part,” Ben said. “We’d better come up with a plan how to handle this and fast. Saturday is only two days away. I’d better call Mr. Fox and tell him the news.”

George came up the next day and he, Ben, Christina and Paul brainstormed a hasty plan while Jenny went to work. George would wait upstairs out of sight until one of them came to get him. Paul said it would be better that way. “As soon as Wayne sees you, he’s liable to try and hit you or run out,” Paul said to Fox. “I’m guessing the former. He really dislikes you. I’ll do my best to keep him from you.”

George smiled at Forrester, touched by the alien’s concern for him. “Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself, but thanks anyway.”

Paul suggested Ben and Christina should also remain out of sight, but in hearing range, and wait for the appropriate moment to present itself when they would come out and show themselves. “He’ll be very angry with you, Christina, but I don’t think he’ll hit you.”

“Because I’m a woman?” 

“Yes.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Woman or not, with that much anger, he might throw a punch my way.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” Ben said, and then asked Paul why he looked so sad.

“I was just thinking how much damage and pain this one lie has caused, and how much effort it’s taking to repair it. All of it could have been avoided,” he said and looked at Christina. 

“It was necessary at the time,” she told him. “You heard him. He would have kept trying to free you. That was not acceptable. It’s regrettable, and I’m sorry for all the hardship it cost you, Paul, but I’d do it again.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry too,” he said quietly. “What’s done is done. Now we have to work on fixing it.”

“We will, Paul,” she assured him. “We will.”

 

The doorbell rang and Jenny answered it. She opened the door and saw her brother standing there with his wife. “Hello Wayne,” she greeted and went to hug him, then Phyllis. “It’s so good to see you,” she told them both.

Wayne was impatient. “Where is he?” he asked, eager to see the Starman for himself.

“I think he’s in the living room. Come in,” she said and pointed the way. “Paul, they’re here,” she called out as she shut the door behind them.

Wayne stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Forrester. The alien had aged a little, but he looked almost the same as he did nearly twenty years ago. “Oh my God. Paul.”

“Yes,” Forrester answered with that special smile of his. He came to shake hands with Jenny’s brother and hug Phyllis. He kissed her on her cheek. “It’s good to see you both again.”

“And you,” she agreed. 

Paul and Jenny offered the Geffner’s their choice of seats. Wayne sat on the couch and his wife joined him while Paul and Jenny took the loveseat opposite. Wayne looked around the room, admiring its spaciousness. “Nice house. How long have you been living here?”

Paul volunteered to answer first. “I’m glad you like the place. I’ve been living here since January.”

“I’ve been here since April,” Jenny said.

“You’ve been free since January?”

“Not exactly.”

“What do you mean?”

Paul took a deep breath. This wasn’t going to be easy. “I’m not free yet, and this isn’t my house or Jenny’s.”

Wayne and Phyllis were confused. “Whose house is it?” he asked.

Paul told them it belonged to the government and explained they bought it for him so he could be closer to Jenny and Scott. “I’m still in the government’s custody. I live here with my guardians.”

“Your what? I don’t believe what I’m hearing here,” he said and looked at his wife, then back at Paul. “Who are your guardians?”

Ben and Christina came into the room. “We are,” Ben spoke up.

Wayne looked at Wiley with complete shock. “You two!” he shouted, horrified to learn the same people who captured and imprisoned Forrester were now his keepers. He leveled an extremely bitter look at Christina. “Paul? Is this a joke? Are they serious? They’re your guardians?” he asked, saying the last word like it tasted foul.

“He’s quite serious, Mr. Geffner,” Christina answered.

Wayne was fit to be tied. He had all he could do not to jump up and lunge at both of them. “You have some nerve lady, to show your face after what you pulled. If you weren’t a woman, I’d deck you.”

“I guess it’s just lucky for me then that I am a woman,” Christina retorted smugly and took a chair next to her husband and aside from the Geffners.

“Okay. Where the hell is that bastard, Fox?” he demanded. “If you two are in charge of keeping Paul, then I know Fox is in on this too,” he said a little loudly. 

George appeared seconds later by the entryway. “You’re correct. I am in on it,” he said with a smile that irritated the man. “Sorry, but I heard Mr. Geffner all the way upstairs,” he apologized to the others. “The way the conversation was going, I figured it was better to come out now rather than later.”

Wayne quickly stood up when Fox took a step into the room, ready to tackle the agent. Paul and Jenny also stood up and blocked the way. Paul saw and sensed the man’s anger, just as he predicted. He gently grabbed the man’s arm and quietly asked him to sit down. “George is my friend now. Do you hear me?”

Forrester’s words sunk in slowly, but just barely.

“Wayne! Sit down!” Jenny pleaded. “We’ve got a long story to tell you and Phyllis.”

“You’ve got that right,” he replied hotly.

“I want your promise you’ll sit there and get a grip on yourself. Don’t open your big mouth and say something you’ll regret later,” Jenny warned him.

He just looked at his sister standing there calmly next to Paul, Forrester’s arm around her shoulder. Both she and Forrester seemed perfectly at ease being in the same room with these government agents. “Alright. I’ll listen. This ought to be good. Now tell me how you ended up here with them,” he spat again.

Ben produced a paper and pen and placed both on the coffee table for Geffner to take. “Before he, and we, tell you anything more, you need to read and sign that. Mrs. Geffner needs to sign it too. It’s a non-disclosure agreement. By signing it, you agree that what’s said here, stays here. If you refuse to sign it, then we tell you nothing. If you do sign it, and talk and/or write about it, there will be severe consequences,” Ben warned them. 

“Sign it, Wayne,” Jenny begged him. “If you want to know everything, then sign it. Please.”

“Yes,” Paul seconded. “Please sign it. You need to know the whole story and put it behind you, as I have, but I can’t tell you the story until you do.”

Phyllis was first to pick up the pen and write her name on the indicated line. She offered the pen to her husband. “Sign it,” she ordered him, but Wayne was not as trusting as she was where Fox and the government were involved.

“Not until I read every damn word,” he told her. “For all you know, you just signed away our house, car, bank account and everything else to these people.”

Everyone waited quietly while Wayne carefully read the document. Satisfied it was only a strict promise not to discuss this with anyone else, he finally took the pen and wrote his name next to his wife’s. “Start talking.”

Paul began. “Obviously, they did not kill me. Telling you I was dead stopped any further rescue attempts, however, it also had terrible consequences. It prevented me from having any further contact with Jenny or Scott. That hurt me more than anything they did to me. It left me totally alone for the next eighteen years,” he said and felt his throat constrict. Only Jenny’s soft hands holding and squeezing his hand offered him the comfort he needed to push past that pain and keep talking about his ordeal. “I was very lonely, even with Ben, George, and Christina there. All I wanted was my family. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and decided I wanted to die.”

“Yes, but before that happened,” George took over, “I came to you about Mrs. Hayden’s book.” He looked at Wayne and Phyllis. “After I read it, I had to talk to Mrs. Hayden about pulling it. The way she’d written it, the government would never allow it into print. I asked General Ryder for permission to take Forrester with me to see her. It was only for a visit, When I finished my business, he’d have to return with me. General Ryder warned me I’d b opening up a can of worms by showing Mrs. Hayden, Forrester was still alive, but I felt I had no other choice. Either I took Paul with me and hope he would give up this idea of trying to kill himself, or leave him where he was and eventually lose him.”

Paul noticed subtle signals of rising anger on Wayne’s face and in his clenched hands. “It worked,” he said, hoping to diffuse the man’s rapidly boiling emotions. “I was excited at the prospect of seeing Jenny again, but I was worried too. I didn’t know how she would react when she saw me again.”

“I can answer that,” Jenny said and grinned at her brother. “I was so shocked when I saw him that I fainted. When I woke up and saw him again, and realized it wasn’t a hallucination, I was the happiest woman in the world.”

Ben felt it necessary to step into the conversation before Forrester or Mrs. Hayden could reveal a carefully guarded secret he had with the alien. If Fox ever discovered he had released Paul to go to Richard Hayward’s ranch by himself, he was danger of being fired, losing his pension and going to prison. “I should back up a bit and tell you Mr. Fox had an accident while driving up here, and he and my wife ended up in the hospital for a couple days. I took Paul to see Mrs. Hayden,” he said and looked at the happy couple, silently warning them to be careful what they said. 

Jenny took the hint and continued where she left off. “When Paul told me he had to go back, I couldn’t believe it. I became angry. He just came back into my life, and there he was telling me he couldn’t stay. It made me furious. I couldn’t understand it.”

“To speed this up,” Wiley said, “Paul got to see Jenny over two days before Mr. Fox and my wife were released from the hospital. When the time came to take Paul back with us, you can imagine it didn’t go over very well. There was a lot of yelling, swearing, and pleading by Mrs. Hayden and Scott for us to leave him with Mrs. Hayden, but it wasn’t possible. We got in the car and proceeded to drive away with Paul. Scott had another idea and tried a daring rescue of his father. He got on horseback and chased us through the woods, catching up with us. Mr. Fox got out of the car and he and Scott had a showdown. Scott had his sphere and Mr. Fox had his gun. Scott managed to free Paul and planned to escape with his parents. Mr. Fox tried to stop Paul and threatened to shoot if he didn’t surrender. That’s when my wife got out of the car and pulled her gun too.”

George confessed he was afraid Christina might accidentally kill Forrester, so he tried to push her gun away, but doing so, combined with the tension of the moment, the pistol went off and the round hit Scott. 

Wayne noticed Scott was missing from the group. “Where is my nephew?” he asked Fox and Christina. “Did you kill him?”

“No,” Jenny quickly answered. She explained her son had been badly hurt, but he was well now. “He’s working at Richard’s ranch. He’ll be by as soon as he gets off work.”

Paul picked up the tale. “I need to back up a bit too. I had my sphere with me. I’d stolen them back before we went on the trip and planned to use mine to escape,” he said, verbally assuring Ben he was still covering another secret: Ben’s taking the orbs and giving them to him, “but Scott and I had just spent all night battling a wildfire that threatened to destroy Richard’s ranch. It took a lot of energy to put out the fire. We managed to save the ranch, but it left me weak. When the accident happened, I didn’t have the strength to heal Scott and run. With no energy and Scott hurt, I gave up my chance to run and surrendered. Jenny was very angry with me for doing so, but it was the only decision I could make at the time. An ambulance came to take Scott to the hospital and I went back with George, Ben and Christina to Nevada. Mr. Fox generously gave Jenny and Scott visitation rights to see me, even after our failed escape plan, but they never came to see me. I thought they were still angry and wanted nothing more to do with me. It was much later I learned the truth. Jenny sent Scott out of the country out of fear for his own safety and she had gotten very sick and wasn’t expected to live long. With my family sick or gone, I reasoned there was nothing left worth living for. I was doomed to spend the rest of my life locked away in isolation. I couldn’t bear living like that for another thirty or forty years, so I killed myself.”

Wayne and Phyllis were both staring at Paul and Jenny in open shock and pity, but it was Wayne who spoke up and pounced on his sister. “You were dying and you never thought to call and tell me?”

Jenny reminded him he said he wanted nothing more to do with her after she’d told him she divorced Richard on the hope Paul would come back again for her.

“I’m still your brother, Jenny!” Wayne shouted. “Are you still sick?” he asked in a gentler tone with concern.

“I’m in remission,” she replied.

“Remission?” Phyllis repeated. That word only meant one thing to her. “You have cancer?”

Jenny told her she had ulcerous stomach tumors, but that they were almost all gone now. 

Christina brought them back to the point where Forrester left off. “It was after Paul committed suicide and we revived him, that we knew things had to change. We couldn’t keep him locked up anymore. General Ryder proposed to move Paul out of isolation, here, to be closer to Mrs. Hayden and Scott.”

“We gave him back most of his freedom as well,” George added. “He’s still in the government’s protective custody, but he’s free to move about. He’s not under house arrest.”

It was Ben’s turn to tell the Geffner’s, “He goes shopping with me or my wife or with Mrs. Hayden. He goes out to eat with us when we feel like eating out. He went to the Fourth of July fireworks celebration with us and he’s gone to the beach with Mrs. Hayden. He’s happy here.”

Wayne listened and looked at Forrester sitting quietly, smiling. He was still shocked to hear this gentle alien had decided to kill himself. “Are you happy Paul?”

“Yes, I am. I’ve even asked General Ryder for permission to marry Jenny. He said he would consider it in one year if both of us were still interested in pursuing marriage at that time. I wanted to tell him a time limit was unnecessary, but I’ve learned to be patient with the military and play the game by their rules.”

Wayne looked at his sister who was also smiling.

“I’m counting the days until I’m Mrs. Paul Forrester,” she told him.

He looked again at Forrester. “What about work? Are you still taking pictures for newspapers?”

He shook his head and told the man of General Ryder’s arrangement that eliminated the necessity for him to find employment.

“So what do you do all day? Watch TV?”

“Hardly,” Christina answered brazenly. “He washes the laundry, cleans his rooms, vacuums, cooks and takes turns helping me and my husband washing the floors, dishes and cleaning the cabinets. After that, he helps my husband with the yard work and cleaning the pool. Then he has his hobbies and he plays with my son.”

“When does he have time to play?” Geffner snipped. “It sounds like you keep him cleaning from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed.”

“Actually, I have a lot of free time,” Paul said, catching the vitriol in the man’s voice. “That’s when I like to take a swim, or catch up on the TV programs I’ve recorded for future viewing, or learn something new like another language. I currently speak fifteen.”

Wayne shook his head. “I still can’t believe you’re happy living with them,” emphasizing the last word. “For Christ’s sake, they didn’t take any steps toward releasing you until you showed them things were so unbearable, you decided to deep six yourself, and they’re still holding onto you!”

Forrester took a deep breath and tried to explain it again. “I know, but what choice do I have? Either I live with them and enjoy the freedoms I have, or rot away in that prison in Nevada. I never want to return there. Also, living the last eighteen years with my captors has changed all of us. I can’t speak for them, but I consider them my friends now, not my enemies.”

“That’s the point. Are they really your friends? They still consider you their prisoner,” he argued.

George said he was correct up to a point. “As long as Forrester is in the government’s custody, then technically speaking, he is a prisoner, but I also consider him my friend. I have no desire to hurt him, if that’s what you’re playing at. All of us want him to be healthy and happy, and he is.”

“Then why don’t you just let him go? Holding him in captivity for eighteen years is long enough.”

“If it were up to me, perhaps I would Mr. Geffner, but it isn’t up to me.” 

“It’s alright,” Paul spoke up and looked at Jenny’s brother. “Even if they never let me go totally free, I’m happy with what I have. I live very comfortably and I have my family with me. That’s what’s most important to me. It’s all I wanted.”

“I believe him,” Phyllis said. “Just look at Paul and listen to him and you can tell he’s telling you the truth. I’m just sorry it took so long to get to this point.”

“We’ll see if everything we’ve just heard is the truth or all a pack of lies,” Wayne said. “I’m challenging them,” he said and looked at Paul. “I’m inviting you, Jenny and Scott to our house for Christmas until New Year’s. Come spend one week with me and my wife, no surveillance, no ankle or wrist bracelet with GPS technology,” he said and leaned back in his seat. “Ask General Ryder for permission to come and let’s see if he, and they, trust you like you say they do.”

George and Christina were staring back uncomfortably, while Ben seemed most at ease. Wayne noticed and went on the offensive. “What’s the matter? You said you gave him back his freedom. Was it the truth, or were those just empty words like always?” he finished and purposely glanced at Christina.

Ben came to his wife’s and Mr. Fox’s defense out of some sense of pride and a little honor. “It’s the truth. We’ll call the general today and put in the request. We can’t guarantee anything of course, but I’m fairly confident he’ll allow Paul to go as long as he abides by his agreement to keep in regular contact.”

“We’ll see.”

They all heard the doorbell ring and Ben got up to answer it. A few moments later, Scott appeared at the room’s entrance. “Uncle Wayne! Aunt Phyllis!” he exclaimed as he saw them. He went to give them a hug.

George, Ben and Christina waited quietly as the Geffner/Hayden family reunion unfolded before them.

“How much did I miss? Did Uncle Wayne try to slug Mr. Fox?”

George admitted, “Your mother and father stepped in and blocked your uncle from attempting that.”

Scott grinned. “I would have loved to have seen the look on his face when he saw you,” he said, addressing George, and then looked at his father. “And you, Dad.”

“It was as I imagined it would be,” Paul said and went on to inform his son about Wayne’s challenge and invitation to spend a week at his place for Christmas.

“That sounds great! I’d love to go. D’you think General Ryder will say it’s okay?”

“My brother doesn’t think so,” Jenny replied, “but I think the general’s a fair man and he will say it’s okay,” she said and looked at Wayne. “I’m even willing to make a bet on it.”

“You got a deal there sister. What are you going to bet? Money? How much?”

“No. No money. I’ll think of something.”

“Mrs. Wiley said you have hobbies, Paul. What are they?” Phyllis asked, changing the subject rather than dwell on her husband’s ill temper and rudeness. 

“I play the Native American flute. I paint and draw as well as Jenny does. I have my flower and vegetable garden, and I like to experiment when it’s my turn to do the cooking.”

She was fascinated and asked Paul where he learned these things. 

Forrester knew what she really wanted to know was who taught him these skills. “I taught myself to play the flute and do gardening. TV, books, and instruction from Jenny and Christina taught me everything else.”

“I’d like to hear you play that flute and see your art if you’ll show me.”

He smiled proudly. “I’d be very happy to. Perhaps after dinner?”

 

PAUL CONTACTS LIZ

Ben and Christina watched as Paul dialed Liz’s number from memory, even after 18 years of being unable to use a telephone, and listened as he left a message on the reporter’s answering machine with instructions to call back as soon as possible. Christina felt relieved Paul hadn’t been able to speak with the woman, but it was only delaying the inevitable.

“I guess all we can do now is wait,” Ben said.

Paul nodded sadly, disappointed he hadn’t spoken to Liz. He was both nervous and excited about when he would. He expected she would be shocked to learn he was alive as Jenny’s brother was. After overcoming that, there would be the avalanche of questions that would follow. It was giving her the answers that made him uncomfortable. Could he really trust her to keep the secret and put it all behind her? It was a moot point. The message had been sent. He hoped he’d made the right decision. They didn’t have to wait long. Less than half an hour later, the telephone rang and Christina answered it. “Hello?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number. I was looking to speak to Mr. Forrester.”

“No, you dialed the right number. Wait and I’ll get him,” she said and pushed the button to put the caller on speaker.

Paul was waiting anxiously and spoke at her nod. “Hello, Liz. It’s really me, Paul,” he said and they heard a gasp.

“I don’t understand. Scott said you were dead. He said they killed you.”

“They lied to Jenny and her brother. Listen Liz,” he said before she got started with asking him questions. “We need to talk. Can you come here?”

“You bet we need to talk. Where is here?” she asked, still shocked at hearing his voice.

“Solvang, California,” he said and gave her the street address and description of the house. “How soon can you get here?”

“I’ll call the airlines as soon as we finish this call. I can be there by tomorrow afternoon.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing you again. I missed you,” he admitted.

“So did I. Who was that woman who answered the phone?” she inquired.

Paul didn’t want to continue the conversation and say too much without first consulting with George Fox. “You’ll see tomorrow. Go make the call and flight arrangements, okay? We can talk as long as we want when you get here.”

Liz took the hint and reluctantly ended the call. She wanted answers now, but reasoned Paul was right. 

Forrester pushed the button on the phone to disconnect and looked at Scott, Ben and Jenny.

“I guess I’d better call Mr. Fox and tell him the news,” Ben said. “Here we go again.”

_If this is going to be like the meeting between your lady and her brother, I can’t wait for the fireworks to begin,_ the ghost Forrester said to Paul, who tried his best to ignore the spirit ex-photographer. _You know, I haven’t had this much fun since I died,_ he said and noticed Paul looking at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“Paul? Are you okay?” Christina asked, seeing him staring at empty space. He blinked and looked at her. 

“Yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking about what a shock it’ll be when she sees me. I’m expecting she’ll be as angry as Jenny’s brother was when we tell her the truth about where I’ve been the last 18 years.”

“She’ll get over it as Mr. Geffner did.”

“Not without help,” Jenny said. “Paul will have to help her get over it like he did with Wayne.”

“Yes, well, just make sure she buries it,” Christina warned. “There will be no books, articles, movies or anything else. I still think it’s a bad idea to tell her about what happened to you, Paul, but General Ryder gave you his permission to do so. What’s done is done. Now we just have to go through with it.”

 

Paul was waiting nervously for Liz Baynes’s arrival. His heart was racing slightly and his hands were getting sweaty. He would be happy to see the Chicago reporter again, but he dreaded telling her of his incarceration. Wayne was furious when he learned of the government’s treatment of him, and he was sure Liz would feel exactly the same way. It took an incredible amount of patience to convince Wayne to let it go, and he suspected Jenny’s brother would never let it go completely, only suppress it while he was in Paul’s and Jenny’s presence.

The doorbell rang and Jenny went to answer it. “Hi. Please come in. Paul’s waiting for you in the living room,” she said and pointed the way.

Liz stepped into the room and froze in her tracks. Paul was there, but so were George Fox, Ben Wiley and another woman she didn’t recognize. Forrester stood up and came to her, greeting her with that special smile of his “Hello Liz.”

She just stood there in stunned surprise. “My God. Paul?” she said and reached out with her right hand to softly stroke his face.

“Yes. It’s really me.” 

Hearing his voice again moved her into action. She wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly.

George and Ben watched the woman hug Forrester and kiss him, as did Christina and Jenny, then they looked at Jenny. She seemed perfectly at ease with the reporter showing affection for her Starman. George cleared his throat. “As much as I am all for happy reunions, can we move on?”

Liz broke the embrace and released Paul. He indicated a seat for her to take while he returned to sit beside Jenny. “George Fox,” she snorted, “and company.” She looked at the unfamiliar woman. “You, I don’t know, but them I do, all too well I’m afraid.” She shifted her gaze to Paul. “Tell me what they’re doing here. What’s going on?” she demanded.

“Before he answers that, Ms. Baynes, you need to read and sign this first,” George said and presented her with some papers and a pen.

“What’s this? Some kind of devil’s contract?” she asked and hesitantly took the document.

“Very perceptive of you,” the agent complimented. “It’s a non-disclosure agreement. Basically, it says you promise not to record, write, print or otherwise duplicate what we’re about to discuss.”

“And if I refuse to sign this?” she challenged.

“Then you may as well go right now, because we, and he,” he said and looked directly at Forrester, “will not answer any more questions. ”

Liz rested her eyes on Paul. He nodded. “Sign it, please,” he begged her. “I can’t tell you what you want to know until you do.”

The sad look in his eyes tugged at her heartstrings. The journalist in her was dying to hear the answers to her questions. Without reading the rest of the document, she wrote her name on the line with the little red “X” next to it. She shoved the paper back to Fox. “Okay, now let’s hear it.”

Paul began, “You know Jenny, Scott and I were captured, and you know Jenny and her brother tried unsuccessfully to free me.”

“Yes. Scott called me and told me you were dead. He said they killed you. Obviously that was a lie,” she said and glared at Fox. 

It was Christina’s turn to tell the woman she was responsible for the fib, but wasn’t looking forward to it. A subtle gesture from Paul persuaded her to admit the truth. She explained to Liz why she fabricated the lie.

“Unfortunately, it carried heavy consequences. Telling Jenny I was dead also meant I could have no further contact with her or my son. It was a terrible price to pay, and it eventually took its toll on me. After 18 years of living in isolation, I couldn’t continue doing so and decided I wanted to end my life.”

Fox picked up the story, telling her about Mrs. Hayden’s book, based on the adventures of Paul and Scott. “It came to my attention at the same time he wanted to die. After I read it, I knew there was no way the government would agree to release the book as it was written. I had no choice but to pay Mrs. Hayden a visit and tell her to pull it from circulation, or I would. I decided to take Paul with me to help convince her to do as I asked. I also thought seeing Mrs. Hayden again would arrest his notion of wanting to commit suicide.”

“I’d given up on living, but the chance to see Jenny again renewed me,” he confessed and looked at Jenny, smiling.

“Believe me, Liz, I was as shocked as you are to see him alive,” Mrs. Hayden said. “My delight was short-lived though, when he told me it was only a visit and he had to go back. Scott and I couldn’t believe it. We were furious,” she explained, uncomfortable at remembering that part of the story.

“Long story short, the trip was a disaster that ended badly,” Ben said. “Scott was shot attempting to rescue his father from us and was badly hurt. We took Paul back with us and watched him wither away again.”

“I got sick with cancer,” Jenny told her. “George granted me permission to see Paul, but I grew sicker and sicker until I was too weak to make the trip. I was also still angry with Paul for giving up and not trying to escape when he had the chance. Anyway, when Scott got out of the hospital, I sent him out of the country for his own safety.”

“I didn’t understand why she refused to visit me,” Paul said, taking over again. “It was later I found out the reason, but I grew lonelier and lonelier until I concluded I had been abandoned. It was after I ended my life that things changed rapidly for the better for me.”

It was all going too fast for Liz. “Whoa! Wait a minute. Just stop,” she exclaimed, overwhelmed by all the information. One statement stood out however, from everything else. “You tried to kill yourself?”

“No. Not try. I did kill myself,” Paul corrected her.

Christina quickly explained she and Dr. Mortimer were able to revive Paul. 

Technically speaking, Forrester knew that was incorrect. He returned to his body voluntarily, not because of Christina’s and the doctor’s feeble efforts. Rather than debate it, he ignored the statement.

“After that, we bought this house so Paul could be closer to Jenny,” Ben informed her. “Recently, General Ryder granted Paul’s request to allow Mrs. Hayden to move in and live here with him,” he said, but she wasn’t really listening to him. She was staring at George with fire in her eyes. “You bastard,” she growled in a low controlled voice. “I knew from the start of this you’d end up killing Paul.”

Fox went on the defensive. “Don’t look at me like that, Ms. Baynes. I didn’t kill him. He killed himself. I wasn’t even there when he did it. I was retired by then.”

“That means diddly squat to me,” Liz rebutted. “You were the one responsible for Paul’s capture and keeping him locked up all these years. You George. No one else. I can’t wait to get back to my office and expose you for the filthy evil cretin that you are.”

George wasn’t intimidated by the reporter. He held up the signed agreement and waved it in front of Liz, taunting and threatening her with it. “No, you won’t. Try it and you’ll regret it, I promise you.”

Liz clenched her hands and teeth in rage.

Paul saw her anger. He stood up and went to kneel beside her. He took her hand in his. “Let it go,” he softly pleaded. 

She felt an immediate sense of peace wash over her. “How can you say that so calmly? Aren’t you the least bit resentful that they stole 18 years of your life and drove you to kill yourself?”

He took a deep breath before telling her, “Yes, of course I’m angry about it, but I’ve let it go and forgiven them for everything,” he confessed. “I want you to do the same. Please. I have more freedom now than I’ve had since my capture. I have my family with me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Don’t jeopardize that for me, Liz. I don’t want to go back to that prison in Nevada. They will take me back there and hide me away again if you violate the agreement. Worse, you could end up there with me. Liz, you have no idea how precious your freedom is until you lose it. I lost mine for eighteen years and only now have regained most of it back. I don’t want to lose it again.”

She studied his face and those deeply troubled eyes. She saw the genuine fear in them and heard it in his voice. She still felt fire in her blood, but the roaring flame had died down to a smoldering ember. Tears started to well up in her eyes and she stifled back a sniffle. “I’m sorry, Paul.”

He wondered what she meant. Was she feeling sorry for him about all the government had done to him, or was she saying she still intended to expose George? “I truly appreciate that you still about me so much. That’s why I’m asking you again to let it go and honor the agreement.” 

“Have they let you go? Are you free now?” she asked him and glanced a moment at Fox.

“No,” he answered. “Technically speaking, I’m still a prisoner of the government,” he said and went on to tell her the conditions of his ‘incarceration’.

“We’re friends with him now, Ms. Baynes, not enemies,” Ben offered. “We don’t want to hurt him. We’re bending over backwards to see that he stays healthy and happy here.”

“Healthy and happy are not the same as being free,” Liz reminded the man. “You still have a collar and chain on him.”

“Yes, we do,” George agreed, “but it’s much looser than it used to be. Much looser, Ms. Baynes,” he emphasized. “That’s just the way things are. He’s accepted it. Ask him yourself if you don’t believe me.”

She looked at Paul and waited to hear it from his own lips.

“Of course I’d like to be totally free,” Forrester said, “but I know that may never happen. Until it does, I’m very happy with the way things are now. I’ve even asked General Ryder for permission to marry Jenny. He said if we’re both still interested in pursuing that in one year, he’ll consider granting my request,” he finished and gave Jenny a smile. 

“X months and counting,” Mrs. Hayden confirmed.

Liz looked again at Paul. “You really are happy, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Liz noticed all eyes watching her, eager to hear what she’d say. “Okay. I’ll keep your secret.”

“Thank you,” he said and took her face in both of his hands and kissed her on her lips. He released her and went back to sit beside Jenny.

Liz looked at Jenny with a slight blush still on her face. “You said you have cancer?” 

“I did. I’m in remission now, thanks to Dr. Woo and Paul,” she said and leaned into her Starman, clutching his arm.

“Don’t exclude Richard,” Paul said, reminding her that the man paid for her treatments.

“Who is Richard?” Liz wanted to know.

The conversation went on to cover the key points mentioned earlier in the initial explanation in greater detail. Coincidentally, Scott entered just as they were discussing his ill-fated attempt to rescue his father from Fox and escape with his parents to Mexico. “If I had to do it all over again, I would,” he said and took a seat next to Liz on the loveseat. He smiled at her as she kept staring at him, taking in his looks. The two hadn’t seen each other in nearly as many years as Paul had been declared dead. She reached to hug him. “Quite a shock, seeing Dad again, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and you too,” she replied and released the young man. 

Scott turned to his parents. “How much have you guys told her?”

“Nearly everything,” Paul said.

“We already gave her the short condensed version,” Ben offered. “We’re giving her the long version now. We’re up to your trying to stop us from taking your father back with us and getting shot.”

Liz glared at George. “You shot Scott?”

“No, I did,” Christina reluctantly admitted. It still did not become any easier to say it, even though she’d already done so once before to Jenny’s brother. 

Paul quickly came to her defense and told Liz it was an accident.

Fox explained how it happened. 

“After I saw how determined they were to keep me, I surrendered,” Forrester said. “Jenny was angry with me for giving up at the time, but it was the right thing to do. To run would have started the chase game all over again. It would only have been a matter of time before they captured us. I was afraid I chose to run, when they caught us, they would not let Scott and Jenny go, so I gave up.”

“Yes, that’s what Richard tried to explain to me,” Jenny admitted. “I finally agreed Paul was right.”

“After I got out of the hospital, Mom and Richard bought me a new false identity and snuck me out of the country for my own safety. We were afraid Mr. Fox would come for us after we tried to escape with Dad. Mom thought Mexico was too close to the States. She wanted me as far away as I could get from Fox and his men, so I went to Spain. I suppose I could have gone further east to Switzerland, or Austria, or Germany, but I don’t speak German and thought Spain was safe enough. I already knew a little Spanish, so it was perfect. I lived great for months until the money ran out. Then things got hard,” Scott admitted.

“I got sicker and sicker,” Jenny chimed in before Liz could ask what her son meant by hard. She still disliked that her son had chosen to hook up with a rich married woman and become romantically involved. She was thankful now Richard had called Scott back at Paul’s urging, ending the affair before permanent damage was done. “It got to the point that I couldn’t eat solid food anymore and kept throwing up blood. The doctor diagnosed it as ulcerous stomach tumors. I didn’t want to go through conventional treatment using radiation and chemotherapy and sought out alternative treatment instead. Richard found a Chinese doctor in San Francisco. The treatment was very expensive. I couldn’t afford it at all. Richard paid for it all.”

“Meanwhile, I became severely depressed,” Paul said sadly. “I thought Jenny wanted nothing more to do with me. Eventually I gave up on living. I shut my body’s organs down and stopped my heart.”

“But they revived you,” Liz pointed out.

He smiled. “No, not really. I decided to return after he persuaded me to.”

“He?” she asked, confused.

“Paul Forrester. Your Paul Forrester,” he said and saw her eyes open wide with shock. He explained about seeing and talking to the ex-photographer while being between the physical world and the spiritual one. “They don’t want to believe me and think I’m just imagining it,” he said and eyed George, Ben and Christina, “but it really happened. I saw him and spoke to him while I was out of my body. He told me the big guy upstairs said it wasn’t my time to die yet and I should go back. I told him I didn’t want to return, and even if I did, I couldn’t return. He was insistent. He showed me why I had to go back and to trust him and have faith. I had doubts, but I did as he asked. I still don’t understand how or why it worked. It should have been impossible, yet here I am. I guess what he said is true. The big guy can work miracles.”

_You got it Boy Scout,_ the ghost Forrester said. _Don’t ever forget it._

Liz was still trying to come to grips with what Paul had just told her. “You saw and talked to my Paul? He’s alive?”

“His physical body is dead and buried, but his spirit still exists, and yes, I talked to him,” he reconfirmed with a smile.

_Did you hear that? She called me hers. She still loves me after all,_ the spiritual Forrester said and moved to stand behind Liz and bent down to kiss the reporter on her cheek. _I love you too, Lizzie._

Neither Paul nor Jenny could reply to what they alone had just seen and heard. Indeed, Jenny had gotten as good as Paul in hiding her surprise when the ex-photographer appeared. It still took a conscious effort for her to remember not to reply aloud unless she could do so in a way that didn’t hint that she was answering a ghost. Sometimes it was a challenge because the spirit Paul Forrester enjoyed spewing a plethora of witty comments.

“Ooh,” Liz said and touched the side of her face with her hand.

“What is it?” Paul asked.

“I just felt something. It was like someone kissed me.”

Jenny looked at her Paul. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at Liz. “Maybe someone did.”

“Paul?”

He decided to move the conversation on rather than answer her. “After I returned, things changed rapidly for me.”

“That’s right,” Christina agreed. “As my husband’s already told you, we moved Paul here to be closer to his family. Mrs. Hayden lives here with him. Scott comes and visits whenever he wants and Paul can visit his son whenever he wants.”

“We’ve given him other freedoms as well,” George said, getting Liz’s attention. “He’s not restricted to staying inside this house. He can travel to town to go shopping as long as one of us accompanies him. If he wants to go somewhere alone, or just with Mrs. Hayden, then he must ask us for permission and check in with us on a regular basis on his cellphone.” George told her how he’d bought and given one to Forrester so Paul could call him anytime. “It’s as close to total freedom as we can give him at this time.”

“I’ve agreed to their restrictions, Liz. Their minimal,” Paul told her. “I couldn’t ask for a better deal than this.”

Liz nodded. “I guess you’re right.” Another thought crossed her mind. “What do you do for work?”

Ben chose to answer the question before Forrester could. “The government has taken care of that. He receives a monthly allowance for his personal needs and expenses. He has no need to look for work, but he does work as a consultant to NASA whenever they need his expertise. Otherwise, he keeps himself busy with chores and hobbies.”

“I see. I take it going back to photojournalism is out?”

“Yes,” Paul said. “It would be impractical.”

“I guess then you won’t be needing me anymore,” she ventured after a moment.

“To find me a job, no, but I’ll always need my friends,” he clarified. “That’s why I petitioned General Ryder so hard to let me contact you. As my friend, I strongly believed I owed it to you to let you know I wasn’t dead.”

Liz was touched by his fierce sense of loyalty to his friends. “Thank you. I’m glad you did tell me, and I’m glad they’ve given you the freedom you have. Maybe someday they’ll really set you free,” she said and looked at the agents. “You deserve no less.”

Paul said she’d get no argument frorm him, then asked if she could stay for dinner. “It’s my turn to cook tonight. I can put on something simple like spaghetti. We have our own homemade sauce and I can make a fresh salad from the vegetables in my garden.”

She was surprised yet again. “You cook?”

“He does,” Christina confirmed.

“Quite well too,” George added, praising Forrester.

“Jenny and Christina taught me,” Paul confessed with pride.

“I’d include TV shows too,” Ben added, telling her, “I think he records and watches every cooking and gardening show there is. He knows more recipes now than my wife and Julia Child combined. 

Liz was still in a state of surprise and Paul asked her what was wrong. “Nothing. It’s just that my Paul’s idea of cooking was taking a six-pack of beer out of the refrigerator and calling up to order Chinese or pizza. His idea of a romantic dinner was sticking a candle between the two of us in the middle of the table.”

_What’s wrong with that?_ The ghost Forrester asked, offended. 

“I don’t think he owned a single pot or frying pan.”

_Who had time to cook? You and I spent more quality time between the sheets, Lizzie, than at the table._

Jenny cleared her throat and felt a blush coming on. She looked at her Paul, who was grinning. “Too bad. That’s his loss. I love my Paul’s cooking and I love helping him in the kitchen when I can. Please say you’ll stay?”

Liz agreed. Paul and Jenny stood up and excused themselves to go prepare the meal, while Fox went to get Sylvia and John from the boy’s bedroom. Sylvia had kept the child occupied while the meeting lasted. 

Meanwhile, Liz returned her attention to Scott. “You’re looking well….”

###    
**AUGUST**  


It was the first week of the month, the second week of John’s punishment, and Christina thought she’d never make it through the next two weeks with her sanity intact. Her son was testing her every moment he could to get his TV watching privileges back, but she remained firm and either sent John off to the library with her husband or Paul to find something new to read, or she pawned him off on Paul when he was gardening and/or taking care of his pet rabbit. She felt a twinge of guilt about doing that as she looked at Forrester now, weeding his vegetable patch and carefully supervising her son as he attempted to help him with the time consuming chore. She blessed Paul’s gentle alien heart for being so abundant with patience. While John resisted doing everything she and Ben wanted him to do, he eagerly looked forward to assisting Paul at whatever task he was doing at the moment. Sometimes she felt jealous of his ability to charm over her son, but right now she felt relieved he kept John occupied so she could rest and take a moment or two to sit in peace and quiet. She was in her last month of pregnancy and couldn’t wait for it to be over. Her back and her feet hurt almost daily if she had to stand for long periods. The start of school would bring a temporary respite, but the new baby would soon occupy any free time. Christina touched her protruding stomach and silently thanked Paul again for the miracle he gave her. Her husband, Ben, was busy at the moment painting the nursery a light shade of rose. He hated the color, but she insisted the room had to be the traditional shade of red for a baby girl. Rather than get into an argument about it, he wisely relented.

Christina heard the brass bell ring loudly outside, followed by a short series of knocks on the door. “I’ll get it,” she shouted to Ben and went to see who the visitor was. She opened the door and was surprised to see Scott standing there with his hands in his jeans pockets and shifting his weight from one foot to the other agitatedly. “Hi. You’re early today. Did Richard give you the rest of the day off?”

“No. I quit,” he answered gruffly. “Where’s my dad?”

“In back in his garden with my son,” she told him, shocked at hearing the news.

“I need to talk to him,” he said and waited for her to move aside.

“Of course.”

Scott just about ran through the house to get to the back entrance to the yard. “Dad,” he called out from the steps of the deck. “You got a minute?”

Paul straightened up and said, “Sure.” He then asked John to take the greens they collected and give some to Jennifer, the rabbit, and bring the rest to his mother. John rushed to do as he asked. Paul removed his gloves and went to sit with his son. As he approached Scott, the look on his son’s face told him something was wrong. “What’s up?”

Scott was reluctant to start, but once he did, he was like a runaway freight train. “You know that girl, Linda, the one I wanted to start an equine therapy ranch with?”

“Yes, of course. She’s very nice. What’s happened? Did she leave you for someone else?”

“Not quite,” Scott answered, amazed at his dad’s perceptive abilities. “Richard stole her from me,” he said with anger and went on to explain in further detail, “You know he was jealous of you when you came back for Mom. It hurt him badly when Mom chose you over him. Having to look at me every day must have been a painful reminder of that loss. I guess he plotted revenge, because he poured on the charm and stole her from under my nose!”

“Maybe you’re mistaken, Scott,” Paul calmly suggested. “I can’t believe Richard would plan to take your girlfriend from you on purpose.”

“Believe it, Dad. He took her, just like he tried to take Mom from you. If you think otherwise, then you live in a fantasy world and don’t have a clue how vicious love can be. I caught the two of them kissing. It wasn’t a quick friendly peck on your cheek kind of kiss. It was a long, slow, serious kind of kiss. Then Richard saw me and gave me a ‘this time I win’, look. That’s when I got my gear and left.”

“You quit?”

“Yes! Don’t you see that I had to? I couldn’t work there anymore or I’d be plotting my own revenge against him.”

Paul didn’t really understand, but said sadly, “I’m sorry, son. What will you do now?”

Scott shrugged his shoulders. “Get a job on another horse farm or maybe become a private trainer. Richard gave me my teaching certificate back when Mom and I were going to escape to Mexico with you. I still have it.”

Paul leaned back in his chair. “I’m glad you came to tell me the news. I’m sorry to hear it, but I’m happy you thought to come to me.”

“Who else could I go to? Mom’s still at work. You’re the only person I have left.”

“That’s not true,” Ben said, stepping out onto the deck. “You can come to me.”

“Or me,” Christina said, though she was pretty sure he’d never take her up on the offer. 

“We’re sorry. We overheard you. You know, don’t you, you can come to us anytime for help and we’ll give it if we can?” Ben offered.

“Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

“You want to stay for supper?” Paul asked him and looked at Ben and Christina, looking for approval after the offer had been made.

“If it wouldn’t be an imposition, I won’t turn it down. Now that I’m temporarily unemployed, I have to make what cash I have stretch like a rubber band.”

“Do you need some money?” Paul asked with concern.

“Not yet. I have some saved up and Richard owes me for this week. He can mail it to me.”

Jenny came home before Paul and the Wiley’s had eaten their supper and was surprised to see her son already there waiting for her. Scott usually showed up about an hour after their meal was over. “Hi,” she said and leaned down to give him a kiss on his cheek, but he didn’t want any of her affection for some reason. 

“Mom. Stop. You’re embarrassing me.”

“Since when is it a crime for a mother to show her son how much she loves him?” she asked him, a little confused.

“Fine. You showed everyone. That’s enough.”

Now she knew something was amiss and asked him what was wrong.

He regretted telling her about losing his girlfriend to his boss.

“Linda left you for Richard?” she asked, shocked.

“No Mom. He stole her from me,” Scott said and repeated the story he told to his father.

Jenny listened and couldn’t believe what she’d heard. “Of all the dirty underhanded tricks to pull! Well, I’ll just go have a one-on-one talk with him and ask him where he gets the nerve to steal your girlfriend from you.”

“No. Don’t Mom. Just forget it. Okay? It’s not worth it. I’ll find someone else again. Just leave it alone. Please?” he begged.

“Are you sure?” she asked him, showing her motherly concern for her son. “You had plans to try to start your own ranch with her and practice equine therapy.”

Scott told them it was a pipe dream and that’s all it would ever be. "I live paycheck to paycheck, Mom, just like you do. I make just enough money to pay the rent, the bills, buy enough food to eat twice a day and put gas in my car. If there’s anything left over, I save it. The most I’ve ever had to my name was less than five hundred dollars, not counting the money you gave me when you sent me out of the country. Something always comes up to force me to use up all my savings and then I’m back at zero and have to start all over again,” he complained. “I’m so sick of being at the bottom, but I just can’t seem to get a break,” he finished with disgust.

Jenny and Paul felt so sorry for their son, as did Ben and even Christina.

“Are you sure about what you saw with Richard and Linda?” Jenny questioned. “Could this be a mistake like Christina made with that picture of her husband helping me walk up to Richard’s house when I was so sick?” She noticed Mrs. Wiley cringed and gave her a sharp look at the mention of the photo and all the misery it had caused because of a false presumption. “I’m sorry to bring that up again,” Jenny apologized.

“I’m sure Mom. It’s not a mistake this time. He didn’t even try to stop me from leaving.”

 _“He’s right, Mrs. Hayden,”_ the ghost Forrester agreed as he suddenly appeared behind Scott. _“Mr. Hayward planned this.”_

Jenny flinched at the spirit’s appearance and Ben noticed. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” she answered and blinked. “I’m just upset with Richard for doing this to my son. I refused to imagine he’d resort to revenge because I chose Paul over him. It was a stupid mistake. I should have suspected he’d pull something like this.”

“Don’t worry. He’ll pay for it later. We all do. Just look at me. You made the right choice Jenny. Don’t ever doubt it.”

Scott told his father he envied him for finding a woman to fall in love with him and stick with him through some of the worst times in her life. “Even when we thought you were dead, Mom never lost faith and still believed you’d come back for her. You proved her right. You went through your own personal hell to get her, but you did. You even got the frosting on the cake.”

Paul asked him what he meant by that.

Scott switched to the material and monetary benefits his father had gained, citing that he lived for free in a house paid for by the government, and he received an expense allowance so he never had to go to work. “You have it made in the shade, Dad. I wish the government would support me the same way they support you.”

“Your father is a special case,” Christina volunteered. “It’s in our government’s best interest and security to protect and care for Paul.”

“And I’m not special?” he countered a bit angrily. “I’m every bit as special and valuable as Dad is. I think I should be entitled to the same security and protection as he gets.”

“You were never without protection,” Ben informed him. “Mr. Fox’s men and I watched you and your mother very closely until you fled the states. If there was any danger, we would have grabbed you both, but that isn’t the real issue. The real issue here is you want financial security like we give your father. Right?”

Scott swallowed his pride and said, “Yeah.”

“I thought you hated the government and wanted nothing from us?” Christina said. “Your actions indicated as much until quite recently.”

“Yeah, well, I changed my mind. I want an allowance just like Dad gets. I think the government owes it to me after all they’ve done to me.”

“It’s a little late to come begging for a handout,” she reminded him. “The only reason you are begging is because you’ve hit rock bottom.”

Scott felt anger rise up within him toward the woman. “If you’re going rub it in my face and humiliate me, I’ll leave,” he snapped and started to stand up.”

“Sit down,” Ben ordered. “No one is looking to humiliate you, Scott, least of all my wife,” he said, emphasizing the word and giving her a reproachful stare. “She is right though. Asking for an allowance eighteen years later isn’t going to work. I know General Ryder won’t agree to it unless you can give us something in return. Maybe we can work something out. The question is: what can you give us? The government pays your father for being a consultant to NASA. I don’t suppose you can do the same?”

He shook his head. “No. All I know about space is what I learned from books and what little Dad told me. What I know best is working with horses.”

“Okay, let’s work on that.

To be continued ….


End file.
